SINGAPORE: Nearly 40 smart technology projects were on showcase at this year’s Digital Innovation Day, organised by the Defence Ministry (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and launched on Thursday (May 9).
Among the displays was a system that uses biometric sensors to take attendance of servicemen, removing the need to manually record.
It is also linked to a one-stop mobile application that allows servicemen to access services like booking camp facilities, checking training programmes and reporting defects and hazards.
The app is one of the smart technologies currently on trial at Stagmont Camp in Choa Chu Kang.
Officiating the launch of the event, Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How said the Singapore Army must leverage technology and adopt more digital innovation, in order to deal with the challenges of a shrinking National Service population and to better prepare against conventional and hybrid security threats.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How views exhibits at Digital Innovation Day on Thursday May 9, 2019. (Photo: Vanessa Lim)
“We can do this by being open to proactively digitalising current processes, such as those involving NS training and administration,” said Mr Heng.
This, he said, will help to improve efficiency and also enhance safety for national servicemen.
Other innovations on display included SmartGuardian – a mobile application that allows workplace hazards to be shared instantly and a system that uses facial recognition technology to allow soldiers to draw their weapons from the Armskote.
A soldier draws his weapon from Armskote using a facial recognition technology system. (Photo: Vanessa Lim)
Another mobile app called the Smart Cookhouse allows servicemen to select their meal one week in advance to reduce food wastage. It also allows servicemen to complete their post-meal surveys and rate them through the mobile app.
Some of these innovations are already on trial in camps and will be rolled out on a wider scale if found suitable, pending the results of the trial.
Pre-enlistees can also look forward to a new app that provides a platform for them to ask and get answers to NS-related questions. A preliminary version of the app – called “NS Buddy”- has been released for trial and the full version will be implemented next year.
A preliminary version of NS Buddy app. The full version is to be implemented in 2020. (Photo: Vanessa Lim)
Besides the exhibits, more than 20 seminars and workshops on technology and innovation have been organised for the officers.
More than 4,000 MINDEF and SAF personnel are expected to attend the event, which runs until Friday.
