From iTODAY:Taxi drop-offs and pick-ups being studied| 20 Sep,
2012 6:00 AM
SINGAPORE – The locations of taxi pick-ups
and drop-offs during the morning peak hour period are being studied
by researchers at ASTAR’s Institute
for Infocomm Research (I2R), in an effort to analyse the patterns
of taxi demand and supply.
Using data management and mining systems to plough through
billions of data points about the positions of 15,000 taxis here,
researchers then plot the trajectories of the taxis to determine
the locations of taxi pick-ups and drop-offs.
This research may one day contribute towards developing a smart
system that not only notifies taxi-drivers of the best places to
pick up their passengers, but also enables traffic to be monitored
and managed in real-time, said Minister in Prime Minister’s Office
S Iswaran yesterday at the opening of the Business Analytics
Translational Centre.
The centre – established by ASTAR and the
Infocomm Development Authority – will help translate expertise in
analytics into real-world applications for the marketplace, in line
with Singapore’s efforts to translate research and development into
new products and services.
Worldwide, companies have recognised the importance of business
analytics. In a Bloomberg survey last year of companies with
revenues of more than US$100 million (S$122.4 billion), 97 per cent
were found to be using business analytics of one form or
another.
The global market for business analytics will exceed US$120
billion by 2015, according to market research firm IDC.
Against this backdrop, Mr Iswaran, who is also Second Minister
(Trade and Industry), said Singapore is in good stead to seize the
opportunities in the market for business analytics.
“We have the expertise, the talent and the infrastructure for
analytics. Our business-friendly environment is another factor that
prompts companies intending to grow in Asia to establish their
operations here in Singapore,” he added.
