Innovation Challenges

;
Challenge Owner(s)
Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
Organiser(s)
Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Enterprise Singapore
Industry Type(s)
Air Transport, Digital/ICT, Healthcare & Biomedical, Land Transport, Urban Solutions
Opportunities and Support Work with Singapore’s Ministry of Defence to co-develop, test and refine your solution
Application Start Date 27 October 2022
Application End Date 31 January 2023
Website Click here to learn more

About Challenge

Organised by Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Enterprise Singapore, the Defence Innovation Challenge 2022 supports Singapore’s growth as a hub for the global innovation ecosystem, and offers product innovation and commercialisation opportunities. MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are harnessing new technologies and sourcing innovative solutions to enhance organisational effectiveness as we become digital to the core, and to enhance the working environment to be safer and smarter.

We invite startups and SMEs with cutting-edge technologies to showcase your capabilities and contribute to the growth of dual-use innovation applicable to both defence and commercial sectors. Innovation opportunities include dual-use technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics, which can be applied and scaled to commercial industries such as construction, real estate and commercial aerospace sectors.

Learn More

Challenge Owner(s)Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
Industry Types(s)Urban Solutions

SAF

Commercial drones such as the Parrot Anafi require a physical controller to operate the system. While there are features such as way-point plotting that could be pre-tasked to the drones, straight-forward commands such as cancelling the mission or making minor adjustment such as “stop follow”, “fly to the left” or “return home” would require the operator to issue the commands via the controller. The need to operate the drone via its designated controller inhibits the operator to perform other tasks at the same time.

What We Are Looking For

The solution shall:

  1. Be able to control a commercial drone, preferably a Parrot Anafi, to perform activities such as building inspection without the physical controller;

  2. Allow other unmanned systems to integrate with the proposed solution;

  3. Be lightweight (overall system <500g) and

  4. Be able to operate for a duration of 1 hour;

  5. Be able to operate in both indoor and outdoor environments; and

  6. Comply with relevant commercial safety standards and regulations, and Human Factor Engineering (HFE) requirements.‍

The MVP should be able to demonstrate the ability to control a commercial drone within line of sight, without using the physical controller. The operator should be able to pilot the drone with basic commands, such as “take off”, “land”, and fly (forward, backward, up, down, left, right, or turn) .

Learn More

Challenge Owner(s)Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
Industry Types(s)
Digital/ICT, Land Transport

SAF

When performing maintenance tasks, technicians may unconsciously adopt the wrong posture, walk too close to the edge of heavy equipment, or go under a vehicle without protective gear. Early detection of such unsafe behaviours and actions can prevent accidents and near-misses.

What We Are Looking For

The solution shall provide;

  1. Area Coverage. Vehicle repair bay (30m x 10m x 3m)‍

  2. Detection Capability. Ability to detect at-risk behaviour such as:
    I. Adopting a wrong posture;
    Ii. Walking into danger zones;
    Iii. Moving too close to the edge of a heavy equipment within a servicing bay; and
    Iv. Going under a vehicle without vehicle stand.

  3. Timely Notification. Ability to provide an alert to theindividual and/or the supervisor.

The MVP shall be able to demonstrate the detection of the above-mentioned unsafe behaviour/actions and alert/trigger to the individual and or supervisor so as to provide timely intervention before a Near-Miss or Accident occurs.

Learn More

Challenge Owner(s)Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
Industry Types(s)Digital/ICT

SAF

Hundreds of reports are received in the form of free text on a regular basis. Manual cleaning, categorisation and analysis of the reports are performed by a few individuals for submissions and the archives. The data-cleaning and analysis process is tedious and resource-consuming, as the individuals need to be trained to understand the reports, classify them, and also make sound analysis if and when required.

What We Are Looking For

The solution should easily be executed by a team of 2 staffers (working in shifts) with minimal training required. The task should also be easy to complete, with a target rate of 100 reports within 5 minutes and an accuracy of 95%.

The solution can be introduced in phases. The Minimal Viable Product (MVP) should automate the categorisation of report, executed on demand by existing staff. The MVP should minimally demonstrate 95% accuracy, in order for the solution to gain support for future development.

Learn More

Challenge Owner(s)Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
Industry Types(s)
Electronics, Real Estate

SAF

During search and rescue operations, the decision for the rescuer to enter a building and the apartments within needs to be properly deliberated. A real-time 3D mapping of the internal layout of an apartment could enable a better visualisation of objects and people inside. Modern methods such as drones and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are usually limited by their short battery operating life, and obstacles such as furniture, stairs and closed doors. Hence, there is a need for an innovative method of mapping the layout of the apartment in 3D. 

What We Are Looking for

The proposed solution should allow the operator to operate the systems from ground level when mapping the internal layout of rooms from different storeys (for example, the room on level 5).

The total system should be lightweight for a single operator to carry and stow.

The system should be able to map a house in a single charge, i.e. no need to change battery.

The mapping of the system shall be in real time, and the information should pipe to another electronic device, like a tablet.

The solution should be operated by a single person.

The MVP should demonstrate the ability to perform mapping from ground level, and transmit and display the information to an electronic device wirelessly.

Learn More

Challenge Owner(s)Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
Industry Types(s)
Digital/ICT, Electronics, Healthcare & Biomedical

SAF

As their body temperature rise, people exercising or working at outdoor environments are most susceptible to heat injuries.

There are existing mitigating measures to prevent heat injuries, such as monitoring the web bulb globe temperature, and implementing work-rest cycles. However, we lack the ability to monitor a person’s body temperature in real time so as to provide timely notification of an impending heat injury.

What We Are Looking For

The proposed solution should be lightweight (less than 30g is desirable).

The software design should be created as an open architecture for future integration.

The system should be able to operate for a minimum of 4 hours.

For health monitoring, the solution should be able to monitor and provide real-time updates of the following:

  1. Heart rate; and
  2. Body temperature

Real-time alerts should be provided to notify the user that he/she is required to rest or cool down to prevent heat exhaustion.

The MVP should provide live monitoring of a personnel via a wearable.

Learn More

Challenge Owner(s)Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
Industry Types(s)
Digital/ICT, Electronics, Logistics

RSAF

Knowledge of the whereabouts of equipment and personnel is crucial for the orchestration of operations. Today, this is achieved largely via voice communications, visual sighting, and manual reporting of last-known locations.

Accurate and automated tracking would

  1. Enable safer workplaces by ensuring personnel are not in hazardous situations in the case of exigencies such as a fire;

  2. Enhance security where entry into out-of-bounds premises can be digitally detected; and

  3. Otimise operations, as data can be collected and analysed to improve operations planning.

However, RSAF is excluding solutions that make use of mobile phones for individual geo-location tracking. This is because mobile phones do not provide information stability and consistency, as it depends on the battery life of individual devices.

What We Are Looking For

RSAF is looking for a solution that comprises a long-life small form factor tracker with an accompanying tracking application that can trace and display locations of at least 500 trackers at any time. The solution should:

  • Provide near real-time location accuracy (better than ±5m; ideally ±1m);

  • Last for 1 month of operations on a single charge (ideally 6 months);

  • Provide an appropriate Application Programming Interface (API);

  • Have a unique identifier for each tracker; and

  • Be compatible for outdoor environment (water and dust resistance).

Learn More 

 

Challenge Owner(s)Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
Industry Types(s)
Digital/ICT, Land Transport

RSAF

Road repairs, such as the filling of potholes, employ specialised heavy-duty vehicles, such as dump trucks, wheel loaders, vibratory rollers, etc. with in-situ operators coordinated by marshallers. Furthermore, road repairs involve a series of tasks that are done sequentially. As such, it is time-consuming, manpower-intensive, and inherently risky.

With the progress of commercial technologies in the domain of remotely-controlled vehicles, an adaptation of such tele-operations technologies on the existing fleet of heavy-duty vehicles can enable an effective, efficient and safer means of executing the repair task.

In the short run (for this challenge), RSAF is seeking to enable tele-operations on two types of heavy-duty vehicles - dump truck and wheel loader - operated by two operators. In the medium term, RSAF plans to coordinate the operations to enable one operator to control multiple vehicles. In the long term, RSAF envisions road repair to be conducted autonomously. ‍

The RSAF is interested in a solution that comes as a modular kit suitable for different vehicle types. Procurement of new vehicles with built-in capability for tele-operations is beyond the scope of this challenge statement.

What We Are Looking For

RSAF is looking for a solution that:

  1. Comes with a vehicle kit which can be fitted onto existing vehicles to enable remote control. The vehicle kit should also include sensors that display outputs (visual and aural) via the operator console; and (2) operator console which can remotely operate all vehicular functions, including ancillary functions like wiper, signal lights, and handbrake.
  2. Enables the operation of one vehicle by one operator. If you can propose a solution that allows one operator console to operate multiple vehicles, that would be ideal.

Learn More

Register your interest for the challenge statement briefing session on 30 November 2022 here: https://defence-ic.eventbrite.sg