Innovation Challenges

VIRTUAL ASSESSOR FOR FOOD SAFETY COURSE

The Challenge Owner is one of the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)-approved providers of the Food Safety Course Level 1 (FSCL1), and trains around 1,500 trainees monthly, or an average of around 50 to 60 trainees daily, with a trainer to trainee ratio of 1:20 as required by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and around four to six classes running simultaneously at one time. FSCL1 is a foundational training course on food hygiene that is mandatory for all food handlers and employees working in F&B establishments. The course is specifically designed for all food handlers, which includes individuals involved in any capacity of preparing, cooking, serving, or handling food within food establishments. No formal qualification is required; however, participants should be able to converse, read, and write in the course language they have registered for to understand the course content and instructions. Trainees come from diverse backgrounds and job environments/levels (e.g. restaurant manager, hawker stall helper etc), with differing levels of education and tech savviness. Upon registering for the course, trainees are profiled through a series of questions (e.g. about their level of computer proficiency), and trainers are able to access the profiles of the trainees in their class three days in advance of the course date.

What We Are Looking For

The solution should meet the following criteria:

● User authentication. Able to authenticate trainees' identities when they log into the solution.

● Realistic and immersive practical assessments. Able to allow trainees to perform and be assessed on the FSCL1 practical assessment tasks/skills virtually in a realistic simulated environment, including the following tasks: o Practicing good personal hygiene (e.g. choosing the right attire before food handling, proper hand washing) o Handling food safely (e.g. ensuring proper usage of crockery, handling cash correctly) o Storing food safely (e.g. storing food items correctly in the fridge) o Use of safe ingredients (e.g. tidying of storage area that is used for storing dry food products)

● Digitised written assessments. Able to administer the written assessments of multiple-choice questions and short answer questions in a digital format.

● Sequential and clear testing. Provide clear instructions and information to trainees on what they need to do and how the grading will be done, as well as contact information for technical support. Conduct assessments in sequential order, where written assessments must be completed before practical assessments can be attempted. Once an assessment is started, it must be completed in one sitting in order to be recorded as a completed assessment.

● Grading and sharing of assessment outcomes. Able to grade both written and practical assessments based on an assessment checklist in an automated manner, with the outcomes shared with trainees immediately after completion. In the event that trainees fail the assessments, able to redirect trainees to the next attempt until trainees complete the assessment successfully.

● Data capture and evidence-recording. Able to record and store written assessments and video footage of practical assessments for documentation and audit purposes. The record archives should be accessible by trainers/assessors, and be able to be shared with SFA for verification.

● Prompts and real-time feedback. Able to provide feedback, cues and hints to trainees at relevant points during the assessments. At the end of the assessment, to be able to evaluate performance and share personalised feedback with trainees on areas of improvement. Able to point trainees towards relevant training materials/links where they can learn about areas which they have not performed well in.

● Multiple language capabilities. Allow trainees to select their language of choice for the assessment. Able to translate the assessment report into English for documentation. At prototype stage, the solution should prioritise assessments in English and Mandarin, with the potential for expansion to Malay, Tamil and other languages for future implementation.

● Customisable virtual environments (optional). Able to simulate different F&B environments (e.g. restaurant, hawker centre, central kitchen) and allow trainees to select their preferred virtual environment for practical assessments. For this prototype, at least one virtual environment should be developed and tested.

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IMMERSIVE TRAINING FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL PHYSIOTHERAPISTS TO MASTER ADVANCED CLINICAL REASONING SKILLS

In musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy, interviewing the patients for history taking is a critical first step in the clinical reasoning process to formulate a working diagnosis, where thorough history taking alone can often yield enough information to lead to correct diagnoses. Patient-centric history taking can also improve clinical outcomes and enhance overall patient experience. Hence, it is vital for MSK physiotherapists to develop competencies in history taking as an integral part of the clinical reasoning process, including communication skills, knowledge of the right follow-up questions to ask patients and how to guide the interview, and pattern recognition to formulate diagnoses, while ensuring patient-centricity and efficient use of consultation time (around 15 minutes for history taking).

What We Are Looking For

The solution should meet the following criteria:

• Smart simulation case generation with differing difficulty levels. Able to automatically generate diverse MSK simulation cases which include patient history and characteristics, based on pre-requisites that are input by trainers (e.g. with different kinds of comorbidities). Allow trainers to adjust the generated cases and generate new cases based on new or amended pre-requisites. Simulation cases should have at least three levels of difficulty (simple, moderate, complex) based on different parameters including type, number and duration of the patient’s medical conditions, social factors (e.g. patient stress), and comorbidities.

• Self-directed learning. Allow trainees to choose which simulations and difficulty levels to practise based on the areas/medical conditions they would like to focus on for self-directed learning. The trainees can make a selection based on the area of the body for a random simulated case to be created on specific conditions which affects that area (e.g selecting the ankle, a simulated case on chronic ankle instability can be generated).

• Realistic and immersive voice-based simulations. Able to realistically simulate and replicate real-life clinical scenarios that provide an experiential learning experience for trainees in history taking and clinical reasoning. Simulation inputs should be voice-based so as to create an immersive experience for trainees, like talking to a virtual patient.

• Real-time prompts and feedback on performance. Provide prompts and feedback to trainees during simulations (e.g. when they have missed details, made mistakes, or paused for a long time) to facilitate better self-directed learning.

• Timed simulations. Simulations should be timed with clear indication of elapsed time, to help trainees practice efficient time management during history taking.

• Post-simulation inputs on clinical diagnosis. Allow the trainees to input open-ended text for their clinical diagnosis and follow-up treatment plans of the simulated case after completing the history taking simulation, to be captured for evaluation and reporting.

• Data capture and reporting. Able to record the simulation attempts by trainees, and capture data on trainees’ performance for review and class discussion. Generate reports with insights for instructors, including the areas of history covered and missed by the trainee, the total duration of time taken and total time of “awkward silence” during the history taking. A recorded transcript should also be included for post-activities discussion.

• Real-time multi-user mode for collaborative learning. Allow multiple users (up to around 15 users) to log into the training environment concurrently and practise the same simulation case, including trainers for observation and evaluation of trainees’ performance.

• Gamification and community elements. Incorporate elements of gamification to encourage trainee engagement. Include a leaderboard/scoreboard for trainees to benchmark against their peers. Allow trainees to share interesting simulation cases with their peers and try out the ones their peers have tried.

• Multi-language simulations (optional). Simulations should be in English at prototype stage, with the potential for expansion to other languages for future implementation.

• Real-time observation and assessment (optional). Provide an assessment feature for trainers to observe and evaluate trainees doing a simulation in real-time.

• Non-verbal communication analysis (optional). Able to identify and provide analysis of trainees’ non-verbal cues.

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LEARNING AND COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

The Challenge Owner’s programmes are designed for children aged between 18 months and 6 years. Within each class, there are children with differing learning needs, including around 10% to 15% of learners with special needs. Their curriculum is developed in-house and teachers are provided with a framework/guidelines and lesson plans for each week, with flexibility to decide how to conduct the lessons themselves. The actual delivery of lessons is dependent on the ability, creativity and motivation of each teacher. 

What We Are Looking For

The solution should meet the following criteria:

• Curated skills map and learning pathway for teachers. Help pre-school educators in mapping out a customised learning pathway with training milestones for their upskilling and professional development.

o Smart recommendations. Recommend relevant training resources to enhance teachers’ competencies based on their self-identified skills gaps. The training resources should include both training materials developed in-house by the Challenge Owner and hosted on the solution, as well as external training programmes relevant to the needs of each educator.

o Engaging content delivery. Deliver training content in an engaging way to enhance educators’ learning experience and incentivise them to achieve their training milestones (e.g. gamification with rewards mechanism, role-playing, integration with Microsoft/Google workspace tools etc).

o Assessment and evaluation. Automatically assess and evaluate teachers' competencies after they have completed their training milestones, to identify their strengths and skills gaps for better teaching resource allocation.

• Teaching resource repository. Provide a platform for the dissemination of new curriculum/lesson plans and collation of existing teaching materials, as a shared repository for teachers. Allow new materials to be uploaded onto the platform when required.

• Foster collaboration among educators. Provide a common whiteboard as a platform for preschool educators to share ideas, case studies, observations about students, best practices, and learning points with one another to facilitate peer learning between educators and build up a collaborative community.

• Parent engagement platform. Allow educators and parents to exchange feedback on students on a more regular basis. Allow parents to populate their child’s profile within the solution for educators’ better understanding of the child’s individual learning needs and challenges.

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VIRTUAL TRAINING BUDDY FOR SERVICE SKILLS IMPROVEMENT IN RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICE

The Challenge Owner’s service training programmes are usually bespoke and designed for specific companies in the service industry who engage them to train their new staff in service skills, ranging from frontline roles like cashiers and waiters, to backend roles like kitchen workers, to management roles like retail supervisors. Training programmes are typically two days long and conducted in person, and are supplemented by a playbook of service skills and standards created for each company, which staff can refer to after the training.

What We Are Looking For

The solution should meet the following criteria:

● On-demand training platform. Able to host training content from the service skills training programme that can be accessed on-demand by trainees.

● Customisable according to companies’ service principles. Allow companies/trainers to customise training content and length of the programme according to their specific service principles, brand philosophy and training requirements.

● Gamified learning methods and progress tracking. Able to incorporate gamification for better trainee engagement, including but not limited to game concepts already being developed/used by the Challenge Owner. The gamification should include tasks for trainees to do daily learning, practice, quizzes and self-reflection, as well as tracking of progress and milestones achieved.

● Feedback, reporting and collaborative peer learning. Able to give personalised feedback and nudge behaviours in trainees to motivate them. Allow trainees to give feedback to one another to encourage peer learning and sharing of best practices. Allow staff and supervisors to input feedback and reports about actual service delivery observed on the ground.

● Rewards mechanism and certification. Incorporate a rewards mechanism to motivate trainees to continually improve their service skills, and issue certification upon successful completion of the training programme.

● Dashboard. Provide a dashboard for management to keep track of their staff’s training progress to help with resource allocation across the company’s various branches.

● Smart insights (optional). Able to synthesise user inputs over time to generate aggregated insights for the companies/trainers (e.g. patterns/trends that support the identification of service gaps or opportunities to enhance customer delivery, best practices across the company that should be rewarded etc).

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INCLUSIVE 2D VISUAL ARTS PLATFORM FOR YOUTHS WITH DIVERSE ABILITIES

*SCAPE and Bizlink share a common goal to broaden the outreach of programmes for inclusivity, facilitate mentorship opportunities for mainstream artists, as well as talent discovery among youths with marginalised conditions, including those with visual/hearing impairments, mobility limitation, and mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety disorder, depression, etc).

What We Are Looking For

*SCAPE and Bizlink are looking for a solution that supports the creation of a 2DVA platform tailored to accommodate the needs of youths with mild to moderate disabilities or mental health conditions. The Problem Solver can propose new ideas/solutions that can contribute to the 2DVA platform, including the following features, but not limited to:

• Inclusive features. Incorporate AI-supported art creation capabilities, including speech-to-artspeech and/or text-to-art-text, enhancing the ability of individuals with a diverse range of disabilities, such as visual or hearing impairment, to self-create art, making creative experiences more accessible to them.

• Self-paced learning. Enable modular learning on digital art according to individual needs, which allows users to proceed through guided content at their own pace, with the flexibility to pause and continue where they left off.

• Adaptive prompting. Facilitates real-time monitoring of user well-being, offering proactive prompts for breaks or activity changes as necessary. This feature is especially beneficial for youths facing challenges in realising their artistic visions, providing effective stress management during the art creation process.

• Feedback mechanism. Allow users to receive feedback on their artwork, with flexibility for individuals, particularly youths facing mental health challenges, to opt out of this feature to ensure a supportive environment tailored to individual preferences and sensitivities.

The following criteria is not mandatory for this proposal, but proposals that are able to meet these criteria will be reviewed favourably:

• Leverage new innovations. The solution may include various technologies that offer different approaches for users to explore and appreciate art in novel ways, including machine learning models such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) that allows individuals to create unique artistic experiences.

• Create business opportunities. Enable users and artists to market and sell their digital art products, with potential extensions to print versions.

• Artist community networking. The solution should allow for both users and artists to share their works, establish mentorship connections, and develop a community that supports the skill development and monetisation of artworks.

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ENCHANCING YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL SKILLS THROUGH GAMIFICATION

Currently, Bilby provides four key programmes tailored to address the needs of youth facing psychosocial and emotional challenges: i) engagement and mentoring, ii) leadership and community projects, iii) outreach activities and events, and iv) counselling and case management support. These initiatives are carried out in partnership with selected secondary schools though enrichment programmes and at Bilby’s after-school drop-in centre to promote character values and socioemotional competencies including relationship and team management, resilience, social awareness and self-awareness. Through these initiatives, Bilby aims to cultivate social capital and foster connection among youths, providing valuable support through its dedicated team of youth workers and counsellors. 

What We Are Looking For

Bilby is seeking a gamified solution that can complement their youth programmes to promote character values and socio-emotional competencies including relationship and team management, resilience, social awareness and self-awareness. Additionally, the solution should assist in fostering skills such as anger/stress management, healthy expression of feelings and empathy. This proposed solution should be fun and engaging to attract users.

The Problem Solver can propose new ideas/solutions that can contribute to the gamified solution, including the following features, but not limited to:

• Gamified learning and rewards. Include intuitive power-point like content editor for game development with a myriad of ready-to-use pre-designed templates. Incorporate gamification elements (e.g. point system, achievement badges and rewards) to motivate users throughout the learning process, while prioritising communal interaction that involve physical tasks and promotes multiplayer interaction. Hence, possibility of props and third party integration would go well.

• Inclusive. The solution should be mindful of gender preferences and accessible to all youths, ensuing inclusivity and equal participation.

• Content adaptability. Allow seamless integration of existing training content without coding knowledge, enabling Bilby team to create and incorporate unlimited digital content without additional content development cost.

• Progress monitoring. Ability to monitor individual youths’ progress through generated reports or dashboard view of their training, which can be accessed by the youths’ parents. Smart data collection and analytics would be useful

• Immersive and educational experience. Ensure that user interactions with the solution are both engaging, educational and dynamic communal involvements, with DMX triggers and scalability.

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ACCOUNTING DATA AUTOMATION SOFTWARE TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY FOR ACCOUNTANTS

Accounts Inc primary clientele is in the Hospitality and Food & Beverage industries, as well as in Medical Services. Their clients adopt different accounting software, which requires Accounts Inc to change their workflow and data entry accordingly. As an accounting firm, Accounts Inc receives invoices, sales receipts and other relevant financial documents from their clients. The data has to be manually entered onto the clients’ respective accounting software, resulting in human errors, which may result in an incorrect accounting report. For hardcopy or handwritten documents, Accounts Inc will have to churn the data into readable formats required by the different accounting software, e.g. tapping on Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the data into Excel format. The accountants then have to spend a considerable amount of time performing manual checks against the final data that is uploaded. 

What We Are Looking For

The solution should meet the following criteria:

• Sales data upload capability. Should allow accountants to easily upload client-provided Excel spreadsheets containing sales data from different types of sales systems. Initial integrations with various sales systems like Tokopedia, Grab, Raptor, Tabsquare, Revel, Shopee, and Lazada, should be supportable.

• Customised mapping configuration management. Allow accountants to establish personalised mapping preferences from Excel files containing sales data from various sales systems and convert the sales data into compatible .csv file formats that supports export to Xero, MYOB and/or QuickBooks Online. Accountants should also be able to save and manage multiple mapping configurations for various clients and their specific sales systems.

• Data validation. Data validation should be built-in to identify and alert users about discrepancies or errors against uploaded client data.

• Data integration and transformation. Should be able to extract data from various sales systems like Tokopedia, Grab, Raptor, Tabsquare, Revel, Shopee, and Lazada and export it to Xero, MYOB, and Quickbooks.

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DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO MANAGE COASTAL RISK IN SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

How might we access detailed and accurate land height data and nearshore sea floor data that is of appropriate accuracy, to integrate with sea level rise data to better identify and respond to future coastal risks in Small Island Developing States?

What We Are Looking For

DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO MANAGE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

How might we collect and access data and gain insights into the location, state and usage of transport infrastructure and assets, as a baseline for improved transport management in Small Island Developing States?

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a group of islands comprising 39 states and 18 associate members of UN regional commissions located in the Caribbean Sea, South China Sea, and the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, with an aggregate population of 65 million. Due to their unique situation and remote geographical locations, SIDS are some of the most vulnerable nations to natural hazards in the world and among the most affected by climate change.

What We Are Looking For

UNDP is looking for a solution which can either access or collect data to generate an accurate map of diverse transport infrastructure and assets in SIDS, which may include roads, footpaths, rail networks, airstrips, airports and bus stops. The solution should use this data to improve management and utilisation of these assets, including to support future investment, planning, and other priorities (such as ensuring the climate resilience of infrastructure). Problem solvers may propose new data collection options (e.g. remote sensing, citizen crowdsourcing, drones) and/or access existing data sources (e.g. satellite images) and should be founded on existing mapping assets (e.g. base maps) wherever available. The solution is intended to be tested in one island of a SIDS first (Caribbean/Pacific, to be selected by UNDP), with potential to scale to other SIDS.

The solution should meet the following criteria:

• Detailed and accurate data as baseline insights. Able to collect or access detailed data on key transport infrastructure and assets, which may include location, composition (e.g. road surface material), overall quality (e.g. new, deteriorated), and capacity (e.g. width of roads). Location data should be within 1 metre accuracy.

• Regularly updated data. Able to collect or access data consistently at a regular frequency, ideally on a quarterly basis.

• Opportunity for citizen engagement. Provide a mechanism for citizen reporting or feedback relating to infrastructure maintenance and management, including potential for two-way engagement with citizens.

• Data integration. Able to integrate the data collected to support policymakers in their decision-making for issue management, including the potential to drive broader government efforts or policy priorities (e.g. infrastructure planning, safe usage of public transport, improved congestion management, and regulation).

In addition, the solution could also include functionality that proposes feasible routing options between various origin-destination pairs. However, the solution could also instead provide the necessary data or tools for other innovators to leverage in building this functionality into separate solutions.

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SIMULATION-BASED TRAINING TO PREPARE FOR INNOVATION ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Challenge Owner’s programmes rely heavily on conventional one-directional teaching methods like seminars, lectures and tutorials conducted by instructors to impart theoretical frameworks and knowledge about innovation/entrepreneurship to learners. After instructors have run through the essential concepts, learners participate in more hands-on activities like creating business model canvases, before working on individual projects in teams mentored by industry professionals. Learners also do market validation exercises to identify and validate their target customer base.

What We Are Looking For

The solution should meet the following criteria:

• Realistic and timed simulations. Able to realistically simulate and replicate the complexity of real-life scenarios, especially incorporating simulations that develop learners’ skills in decision-making, critical thinking, business acumen, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Simulations should be timed to test learners’ ability to make decisions quickly.

• Expandable database of customisable scenarios. Allow varying scenarios to be uploaded, customised and added on/updated by instructors for an expandable database. Allow the scenarios to be customisable for different subject matter within venture-building education.

• Modular content with personalised recommendations. Content should be modularised in a way that gives learners the flexibility to choose which module to start with, or to go with generated recommendations that are tailored to their individuals’ skillsets and learning journeys.

• Real-time prompts and feedback. Provide feedback to learners at critical points during simulations, include positive reinforcement and motivation (e.g. encouraging learners to “keep going”), hints and cues that provide alternate options for learners’ consideration, and prompts for learners to seek assistance from instructors where needed.

• Personal profile for self-understanding. Based on learners’ inputs and use of the solution, integrate these insights into a personal profile that will provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of their own capabilities, preferences and leadership gaps as an entrepreneur to facilitate their growth.

• Tracking and reporting. Able to capture data on learners’ performance, record how they had interacted with the solution (e.g. which modules they have taken, what actions they had taken within the simulations), and generate reports with insights for instructors.

• User satisfaction measurement. Able to capture learners’ feedback and level of satisfaction with the solution. This will help instructors to develop learning tracks tailored to individual learners.

• Real-time multi-user mode for collaborative learning (optional). Allow multiple users to log into the training environment at the same time and participate in role-playing simulations for collaborative group learning. The group size should start with a minimum of two users.

• Generative scenarios (optional). Allow learners to input their learnings and feedback as they progress through the preset scenarios, and generate new improved scenarios based on user inputs to add to the database of scenarios so that scenarios are relevant and relatable to users. Allow learners to tag the new generated scenarios to the relevant modules, and for instructors to review / modify the tagging. This criterion is not mandatory for this proposal, but proposals that are able to meet it will be reviewed favourably.

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COACHING-IN-A-POCKET LEARNING SOLUTION

The Challenge Owner currently grapples with the task of ensuring continuous learning and skill development for working professionals, navigating the diverse needs of individuals across various industries and sectors. Working professionals require access to flexible and effective learning opportunities to remain competitive in the job market. Traditional educational approaches often prove inadequate, and are unable to accommodate their time constraints and personalised learning preferences. Hence, the Challenge Owner is seeking a solution that can better capture the interest and motivation of learners, as well as foster a sustained commitment to enhancing their digital leadership skills.

What We Are Looking For

The solution should meet the following criteria:

• Realistic scenarios with real-time feedback. Realistically simulate and replicate dynamic environments for learners to practice coaching skills in varied scenarios. The solution should allow for individualised practice, enabling learners to experiment with different coaching strategies and receive immediate feedback for prompt improvements, focusing on communication style, question techniques, and empathy levels. Scenarios can vary from coaching demotivated to highly motivated individuals or high potential to struggling performers, encompassing personality types (extrovert vs introverts), and differing seniority levels (director vs fresh graduate). These scenario-based permutations enable participants to effectively practice and enhance their coaching skills.

• Role-playing bots for tailored coaching. Ability to emulate different learners’ personalities and situations, providing a broad range of practice experiences.

• Adaptive learning paths. Able to accommodate diverse learning styles and paces through differentiated instructions. The solution should adjust content and difficulty based on learner's progress for continuous engagement. This presents adaptive changes to the scenarios based on learners’ responses, creating a personalised and immersive learning experience.

• Ease of content update. Allow the case scenarios to be customised by an administrator to upload and edit scenarios, pre-select personas based on agreed parameters.

• Instructor-led support. Support traditional instructor-led sessions, providing tools for personalised feedback and guidance.

• Progress tracking. Allow learners to seamlessly continue from previous training sessions and help both learners and instructors to track progress over time, identifying areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

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CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF DEEP TUNNEL SEWERAGE SYSTEM TUNNEL

PUB is responsible for managing Singapore’s water cycle, which includes the crucial process of reclaiming used water into NEWater, a major source of water supply. To achieve water sustainability, it is integral to collect and convey used water to our water reclamation plants (WRPs). The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) is a mega underground used water superhighway which centralises the collection of used water to the water reclamation plants entirely via gravity.. The DTSS has been designed and constructed to last 100 years, with a length of 48km for DTSS Phase 1, diameters of 3.3 to 6m and depths of 18 to 50m.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking remotely operated or autonomous unmanned vehicles that can navigate and inspect the DTSS tunnel to provide imagery or recordings of the tunnel interior without requiring human entry.

To eliminate the need for human entry, the solution must either be adaptable to the different configurations of the tunnel shaft (i.e., able to be deployed from both direct and offset shafts) or travel longer distances. Additionally, it must be easy to launch (without the need for deployment of heavy machinery) and able to withstand the diverse and harsh conditions in the tunnels, such as different types of water flow conditions, high air flow speeds, and corrosive environments, and be intrinsically safe to use.

If successful, this solution will enable PUB to develop a method for routine inspection of the DTSS tunnel. This is crucial for ensuring its structural soundness and maintaining water sustainability in Singapore.

In addition to routine inspections, it is a good-to-have if the solution can stream real-time video from within DTSS, as PUB will be able to conduct thorough real-time inspections of tunnel conditions in the event of urgent damage scenarios, such as damage from nearby construction activities or explosions. Furthermore, the solution could be developed to be multi-functional such as performing measurements within the tunnel.

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ROBOTICS FOR PROCESS TANK CLEANING

PUB’s water reclamation plants have treatment processes that involve large tanks with restricted access for safety purposes. Currently, these process tanks are cleaned two to three times a year, and workers must endure confined space conditions to carry out tank cleaning works. The current method requires up to six workers to concurrently perform cleaning works by water-jetting and dispose dislodged sludge materials for an estimated duration ofsix working days for each tank. The clean tanks are inspected and repaired before re-commissioning.

What We Are Looking For

The robotics system shall be able to perform the following tasks:

1. Dislodge sludge from tank surfaces, including walls, floors, and scrappers. The proposed cleaning method shall match or exceed the cleaning performance of existing water-jetting methods.

2. Remotely controlled to navigate the process tank, to effectively clean the interior surfaces of the tank without damaging the surfaces and tank components.

3. Dispose sludge via the sludge hopper or other mechanisms that remove the sludge from the process tank.

4. Document cleaning outcomes as evidence for the completion of works.

5. With the new robotics system, the maintenance process for the process tanks could be reviewed and redesigned for more frequent but less intensive cleaning, after considering the feasibility and viability of the robotic cleaning process. 

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CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF USED WATER PUMPING MAINS

The current methodology to assess the condition of PMs involves visual inspection using conventional video surveillance devices, e.g. CCTV. These devices enable the recording of imagery of the internal condition of the PMs, which helps to identify locations with leaks, damages or abnormalities. This information is then used to determine the appropriate follow-up actions or prioritising the PMs for rehabilitation.

What We Are Looking For

The solution(s) we are seeking are summarised to the following:

A. Performing condition assessments with the ability to traverse the entire length of a PM, including sharp bends and/or multiple bends Solutions that can traverse the entire length (approx. 1km) of a PM from one end to the other are desirable to simplify the inspection operations and minimise the need to insert video surveillance device through the Access Chambers. The solution can be deployed from within a Pumping Station and retrieved at the Discharge Chamber found at the end of the PM. If this is not possible, the solution should at least be able to travel at least 200m or more from Access Chambers located along the PMs to ensure that the inspection can covers the entire stretch of a PM.

B. Performing condition assessments without requiring isolation and draining operation of the PMs Conducting condition assessments of PMs without the need to isolate and drain them can result in significant savings in terms of manpower and time. Therefore, we are keen to explore solutions that can perform condition assessments without requiring isolation and draining operations. However, we are also open to methods that involve draining the PMs if the methods provide more accurate, detailed, and precise data that can support the planning of rehabilitation works and help project the lifespan of the PMs.

C. Condition assessments via exterior of the PMs We are also willing to consider solutions that require installation on the exterior of the pumping main or pipe fittings if the installation does not require trenching or extensive construction works. 

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