20 public
buses in Singapore to trial blind-spot warning
system
SINGAPORE: Twenty public buses in Singapore now have a
blind-spot warning system as part of a six-month trial, the Land
Transport Authority (LTA) said during a demonstration of the
feature on Monday (Apr 16).
The smart vehicle warning system, developed by Singapore
Technologies (ST) Kinetics, alerts public bus drivers of vehicles,
cyclists and pedestrians approaching their blind spots while on the
road.
From Monday, 20 buses from all four of Singapore's public bus
operators – Go-Ahead Singapore, SBS Transit, SMRT Corporation and
Tower Transit Singapore – are trialling the feature. Ten of the
vehicles are double-decker buses, while 10 are single-decked.
The system, which is known as the Integrated Smart Advanced Warning
Unit (I-SAW-U), consists of four cameras and six sensors installed
at the front, rear and on top of the buses.
When the sensors detect a vehicle, cyclist or pedestrian coming
close to the vehicle, a screen at the bus driver's cockpit will
sound an alarm and display a visual signal.
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The alert has two levels – amber and red. An amber alert means the
obstacle is 1m away from the bus, while a red alert means when the
obstacle is only between 0.5m and 0.8m away from the bus.
Mr Lewis Tan, principal engineer for ST Kinetics, said that the
system allows the driver to slow down the vehicle and stop in time
to prevent any collision.
"We want to give them better situational awareness around the
vehicle. With that, we will help to enhance the safety of the
drivers and commuters," he said.
Mr Tan noted that the system is not meant to add to the
task-loading of bus drivers.
“This system, especially through the audio alerts, allows him to
pre-empt the possible obstacles he will come across. Then … he can
do a quick check on what is on the screen and this will help him
determine where the threats are coming from.”
Mr Tan said that at least 40 bus drivers from the four public
bus operators have been trained to use the system.
Mr Azman Tumin, a driver with Go-Ahead Singapore, said that while
it took him some time to learn how to use the system, he felt that
it was “not difficult” to apply it. He has since used it to drive
on two occasions.
“It’s straightforward to use the equipment and it will help us to
ensure the safety of our driving. It reminds us of some hazardous
obstacles we can encounter,” he said.
Mr Tan highlighted that his team is still working to better use
the I-SAW-U alert system.
“In this phase of the project, we are still gathering feedback and
data to improve the system, so it’s a continuous job to improve
it,” he said.
This proof-of-concept trial of the warning system is funded by LTA
and ST Kinetics. LTA said it will review the results from the trial
before deciding on the next course of action.
The authority added that it will continue improving the technology
for the safety of drivers and commuters.
Source: CNA/am(hm)