Author: Admin

Smart Landscaping & Agriculture-Singapore

Landscaping  puts Singapore on the Map

Singapore is renown for its garden city image. The landscaping industry has gone through many changes much of it thanks to the drive & vision of the people at N-parks. We have several iconic gardens , beginning with the  Botanic gardens that’s over 100 years old, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,  to the latest being the Jewel at Changi Airport. The most iconic being Gardens by the Bay. These projects stand testament to the talent  & creativity of our landscape architects coupled with abilities of our local landscapers has brought international recognition to Singapore and to the industry.

Technology Challenges 

As the landscape industry progresses & changes , there is a growing need to incorporate more technology to (a) reduce development & construction time & (b)better manage the plant resources.  We are keenly aware that the information available on the plants & trees comes from visual cues & are solely reliant on the expertise of the specialist.

Manpower Challenges 

Its a challenge for a handful of trained personnel to monitor that many plants & trees.  Furthermore much of the information to keep plants healthy, is only  available at the root level & accessing that critical information is a challenge.

Tapping Root Information 

IoT Solaris recognized the need for solutions  to help landscape architects, consultants, landscapers  to better understand & monitor,  plants & trees from the roots up. Working with its partners in the United States released its second-generation wireless sensor, the SP-110, enabling a new data driven solutions for smart irrigation in the green industry.

Measure Parameters
1) Moisture
2) TemperatureSpiio SP-110
3) Light(Lux)
4) Salinity

Benefits
1) Easy to Deploy
2) Continuous Monitoring
3) Reduce Physical Checking
4) Multiple Monitoring Locations
5)Accurate Real Time Information
6) Long Term Data Collection

Integrate Smart Data With Smart Irrigation

The IoT -Sp-110  integrates with smart irrigation controllers, allowing for full automation. It comes with the highest possible IP grading (IP69K) , making it very durable, with  battery life of several years.

 

Data Working For You 

The data from our IoT -SP 110 wireless sensors will allow commercial landscapers, green designers, horticulturists & agricultural growers to use smart irrigation effectively. It will enable targeted, water usage & focused plant management.

Smart Management   

Access to root information & data will now allow us to understand the soil conditions , juxtapose against the plant health.  Landscape architects, consultants & landscapers, can  easily use the data-driven solutions to implement large scale vertical urban greening & agriculture , for future, sustainable super-cities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Control & Consistency 

The data will accurately predict the growth & yield of the various plants & tress under different soil & moisture conditions , through the power of predictive analytics.

Engines of Growth                                                                                                                     

Our future iconic gardens & urban farms will now have the added dimensions of befitting from, smart technology.  The long term adoption of  IoT technology will play a major role in  transforming the industry into an engine of growth in the 4th industrial revolution. IoT Solaris is here to help our clients take the small steps into big world of IoT technology.

LEGO – Disruptive Technology In Retail Toy Industry

 

LEGO -Succeeds where many have Succumbed!

LEGO to Expand Stores

LEGO the privately owned Danish toy manufacturer & retailer has just announced its planning to open 160 stores globally with 140 of them being in China, competing against sophisticated & mature online retail platforms.

LEGO sales are UP

This comes after LEGO declared that sales rose by by 4% to (USD$2.8b). This bucks the trend , major toy retailers have been forced to close down in the recent months due to massive losses.

Mounting Losses in the Retail Toy Industry

Toys “R”Us North America’s largest retailer announced in March 2019 its closing all its stores after losing 2.5 billion since 2012.Disruption from online competition, expectation of millennial parents, children preference for digital toys & online games and less interest physical toys, and mistakes in business strategy finally forced them into bankruptcy.

Brick & Mortar Retailers Challenges

Physical retailers are faced with challenges from online platforms that offer large selections, convenience  at very competitive prices. Retailers have to reinvent by going online or changing the customers retail experience going beyond just product & prices.They need information on customer behavior in direct response to their store front.

Packed Shopping Malls With Limited Sales 

In Asia & Singapore in particular the malls are always packed but ,retailers & F&B outlets bemoan high rental rates & dropping sales .Much of promotions offered by the malls don’t provide direct leads to stores. They encourage more people into the mall but not necessarily convert them into customers.

Retailers Technology Challenges

Retailers are faced with the daunting task of  identify technologies that will work  best for them & keep up  with changing  technologies. They then have to apply the solutions, monitor its relevance and continue with the long term maintenance. There is also the initial investment cost which most retailers cant afford given their size of operations.This is addition to running their daily business operations in a very competitive environment.

IoTSolaris Retail Technology- SolarisRR                                   

Keenly aware of problems faced by  malls ,retailers & F&B outlets ,  IoTSolaris creates holistic solutions to increase in store visits, optimize space , offers unique retail experience that converts to more  customers & sales

Our SolarisRR suite ,accurately  measures footfalls, effective space utilization, staff & service performance, identify customer behavior, rate advertising value. The solution enables retailers to visualize  the interaction  between , space , advertising & customer service  in real time.  Retailers can tweak all factors to optimize customer experience & highest returns. The insight from derived from applying SolarisRR will be a valuable planing & strategic tool to the management. Our IoT consultants provide insights & knowledge to clients on how to maximize returns from  4th generation technology and  make it a living part of their business strategy.

 

Bush Fire Monitoring For Urban & Agricultural Environment – IoT Technology

 

Forest Fires & Climate Change

Several news articles about  the impact of agriculture on the environment were  published & highlighted on social media last week . Most notably the ranging fires in the Amazon jungle .  The fires  are attributed to human activity, like burning of forest &  clearing of agricultural lands.Locally bush fires were reported  in several parts of Singapore & Malaysia too at Iskandar Puteri in  Johor where 16Ha of forest was burned.  Rising temperatures & climate change also play a major role in starting these fires.  Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke at length ,about the impact of climate change, with rising temperature & sea levels, and how Singapore plans to mitigate them at the National Day Rally.

Bush Fires In Singapore

The number of bush fires are on the rise, in 2018 there were almost 600 bush fires as per statistics released by the  SCDF ( The Life Saving Force) . Much of this is attributed to warm dry weather we have have been experiencing. The dry weather  during the hotter months of the year and reduced rain fall is  a catalyst for much of bush fires here.

The SCDF in August 2019 put out fires at Marina East , Tengah Area & Pang  Sua Canal all within a few days. The fire at Marina East required  7 water jets, 12 emergency vehicles & 50 fire fighters who fought the blaze for nearly 2hours. Fortunately there were no reported casualties.

The bush fires aren’t detected or reported  until  they become infernos. SCDF firefighting teams have to scramble to contain them before they create more damage or become a threat to people. These fires aren’t  easy to be put out either.

A fire at Lim Chu Kang in March 2019 took nearly 19 hours  before being brought under control. The SCDF had to combat multiple sites , slow burning deep seated fires fueled by waste timber & strong winds. They had to manually connect hoses to fire hydrants nearly 2km away & deploy water pumps to maintain water pressure. Thanks to the resourcefulness & dedication of the SCDF Fire Fighting Team, the fire was put out without any property damages or injuries.

The frequency & the impact of the bush fires cannot to understated. Singapore’s large urban population lives in close proximity to outdoor spaces. Though much of it is well manicured & maintained garden spaces.  The reports show , bush fires are becoming common.  Fighting the fires also consume precious civil resources. Our fire fighters & equipment are deployed several times in the year to deal with the  threats. Thankfully they have been successful in containing the fires.

Solaris SP111-F  Remote  Fire Monitoring System

A easier  way to manage these fires would  be to deploy  ,early warning system that could alert authorities, park rangers, landscapers , farmers  to the possibility of  fires starting at  a location. The Solaris  Sp111-F is designed to continuously monitor temperature , moisture & direct light. Applying  the data our algorithms can help to predict the possibility of  fires  starting in any location. Changes to base line environmental conditions will trigger immediate notification. 

Continuous Monitoring & Reports                                                       

Sp111-F provides   24/7 monitoring , by the hour reports , its easily  deployed at  remote sites, like secondary forest ,fruit  plantations, nurseries & orchards.  The information is accessible through our App with customized options.

Integrated Fire Monitoring & Management

The Sp111-F can be integrated with automated fire management systems to provide a total fire management platform for landscaping , park management & agricultural industry.  It could potentially  save thousands in plants & infrastructure damages, protect the local wildlife & reduce the need for routine deployed of emergency services.Please contact us to know more about our smart fire monitoring solutions.Prevention is the key to better fire management.

 

Amazon Forest Fires – Devastation- Can Technology Offer Any Assistance

What’s causing the fires?

Environmental organizations and agencies in the country say that majority of fires are the result of human activities. A senior scientist at the INPE told CNN that humans had either purposefully and inadvertently set 99 percent of the fires. Farmers and loggers usually clear the land using fire during Brazil’s dry season, starting from summer, into early fall, for agricultural purposes. Brazilian officials have been claiming that the fires are largely a product of dry seasonal conditions, but experts and environmentalists disagree, based on the scale of the fires.

How much forest is being destroyed?

Over the course of pro business president Bolsonaro’s first term, Brazil has lost 1,330 square miles of forest, a 39 percent increase compared to last year. The INPE reported that the Amazon lost 870 square miles of forest—more than half the size of Rhode Island—in July alone.

What are the long-term consequences—for Brazil and for everywhere else?

The Amazon is critical to managing global climate change. The Amazon itself accounts for consuming a quarter of the 2.4 billion metric tons of carbon that forests around the world remove from the atmosphere every year. A decimated Amazon would make it extremely difficult to meet the goal of keeping worldwide warming below 3.6 degrees, as outlined in the Paris climate accords. The fires further emit greenhouse gases in the air, though it’s too early to predict the quantity and impact. As the world’s largest tropical rainforest, the Amazon is home to 30 percent of the world’s plant and animal species according to some estimates, and fires are a threat to the region’s biodiversity.

What Help Can Technology Offer?

Satellite Monitoring 
A fleet of public and private-sector satellites are keeping tabs on deforestation rates in the Amazon and severity of the fires.
Here are some of the satellite views to help drive home the scope . Since Jan. 1, a total of 75,336 wildfires have been detected in Brazil, an 85 percent jump compared to 2018, and an increase of 6,852 fires detected compared to the drought-driven wildfire season in 2016.

Computer Imaging & Analytics                                                                                         In-order to better understand the devastation caused by deforestation & fires over the years and how degraded the Amazon forest has become computer aided imaging is proving to be invaluable.  Here is a time-lapse showing deforestation over the span of a few years, through August 2019, northeast of Jip-Paraná, in the state of Rondonia, Brazil.

Air Power- Firefighting Resources                                                                                      The B747-400 SuperTanker is the true “Next Gen” air tanker. It joins the worlds fleet of aerial firefighting tankers not only as the youngest VLAT (VERY LARGE AIR TANKER) but with almost twice the capacity of the next largest aerial tanker. The two separate, but identical constant flow systems are pressurized which allows for either continuous discharge or up to 8 segmented drops. Coverage levels range from CL2 to CL8 and above. The system is approved for retardant, gel, foam and water drops or the combination of any two of these agents and ground servicing for another sortie takes approximately 30-35 minutes.

What more can be done to protect our rainforest?

We can play a big role in helping to reduce  this wanton devastation of our rainforest which is happening at an alarming rate. Amazon, Kalimantan, Borneo are all at risk. Awareness is the first step. make a decision  to actively support sustainable agriculture, keep the supply chain accountable for how the raw materials are procured. Question beyond the dollar value of your purchase. The environmental & social cost in some cases are so exorbitant that it will be with us for generations.

Can we act today  to protect & sustain our rainforest?

  • Protect an acre of rainforest through the Rainforest Action Network.
  • Help buy land in the rainforest through the Rainforest Trust.
  • Support the rainforest’s indigenous populations.
  • Reduce your paper and wood consumption or buy rainforest safe products through the Rainforest Alliance.
  • Support arts, science, and other projects that raise awareness about the Amazon through the Amazon Aid Foundation.
  • Help protect animals living in the jungle with WWF.
  • If you’re in a position to help protect the rainforest on a Macro-scale, propose & influence ,  trade, distribution, and financing deals that are dependent on protecting the rainforest and sustainability can be a boon to the planet and to people who depend on the rainforest for their livelihoods.

Prevent Personal Mobility Devices From Fire Hazards-New Technology

Fire Safety In Homes
Mitigate Electrical Fires-IoT Approach 

PMD -Transport Convenience & Controversial
Personal Mobility Devices( E-Scooters, Segways, Hoverboards, Motorized Wheelchairs) are  featuring regularly in the news in Singapore. Often its about pedestrians, and their concerns about sharing the pavement with PMDs’ or souped up speedsters racing with motorist,on our highways. Even when stationary and being recharged they attract news worthy action.

The reality is, as more millennials & elderly come to rely on them, we have to co-exist with them. They offer easy, reliable, cost effective transportation ,a means of income to many and are integral for assisting the elderly & disabled.

The use of  E-scooters & Bikes are  increasing and will continue to rise in  the future. The authorities are doing their best regulate the usage of these PMDs’ regulations do have their limits.

PMD -Catching Fire In Apartments
To make the best case would be the recent spate of fires involving PMDs’. It’s been reported that there were 74 cases with 1 fatality and several injuries. The  fire damage goes beyond the devices, it results in personal injury , apartment units destroyed , families & neighbors are put at risk, requires civil resources, SCDF  (see statistics) .

PMD -Aftermath Of Fire & Cost
The repair , rehabilitation cost, insurance claims, for HDB flat is estimated to be around S$50000- S$100000 per apartment not including the human cost and tragic outcomes.Hence the failure of the PMDs’ to charge properly is staggering.

PMD – Authorities & Regulations
LTA issued rulings on using UL2272 certified e-scooters & bikes .This should help reduce the recurrence of fires, but requires continuous monitoring & enforcement, otherwise things can & will go wrong.The question to ask, how can owners be made aware of  the risk of fires.

PMD- Owners & Responsibility
The Owners usually get the blame,In some cases it’s justified, but mostly they too are victims,who suffer the most. They  charged their devices from electrical outlet not expecting a electrical fire to break out.We believe that there is a better way of dealing with the fire by putting in place technology safeguards that will address the immediate problems with overcharging & faulty batteries.

Out Of The Box Solutions -IoT Boffins & Coffee
In a recent meeting in Singapore our IoT Boffins from Holland were impressed with the numerous E-scooters on the road. The Dutch are a  nation of cyclist with their own issues (1000 or more bicycles might end up in the canals of Amsterdam yearly), so we  to compared  the e-scooter vs pedal power benefits . We gathered around the coffee machine to discuss the prevalence of electric fires& how it could be mitigated.  After several cups comes inspiration! It was agreed that solutions should meet the following requirements;

  • Improve On Existing Solution
  • Simple Enough to Adopt into existing framework
  • Stakeholders must see immediate benefit
  • Can be quantified & measured for evaluation
  • Affordable enough for most people to  buy

Dutch Housing -Batteries In Energy Neutral Homes
Interestingly a solution does exist . The background being most houses in the Netherlands are energy neutral or energy +.  They  store excess power in Powerwall/Powerpacks in their case think the size of electric cars packs from Tesla or Nissan. These battery packs are subjected to similar charging & discharging cycles . The batteries & chargers are of course designed with better safety features, as added safety requirements the houses too have a automatic power cut off & alarm in case there is potential risk of fires from battery storage.

Smart Technology-  A Fire Plan
Now our Boffins excel with these challenges and developed a plug & play solution that’s installed into standard wall plug outlet ,that  will monitor the power & heat which are good indicators to detect if devices are malfunctioning. The information is send to a dedicated gateway which is on continuous monitoring mode. The gateway in the event of detecting a problem will automatically;

  • Shut the power to the wall socket
  • Sound the alarm
  • Send notification.

To the best of knowledge there have been no reports of fires breaking out in projects where these systems have been deployed.

IoT – Continue the conversation
The blog  is a be starting point for discussion on how new technology can be readily applied to solve critical problems like electrical fires from E-scooter which did not exist just a few short years ago. The solutions  are based on our  expertise, and without doubt there must be other means to deal with other critical & dangerous issues and we welcome the sharing of information (https://www.iotsolaris.com/iot-community/).

Getting In Touch
We welcome  stakeholders to share their views. Contact us to better understand ,evaluate pros & cons of deploying the fire prevention solutions that  IoT technology is now able to offer.
Contributed by Arthur
https://www.iotsolaris.com/contact-us/