Singapore housing board to set up analytics platform

Singapore’s housing agency will set up an analytics platform that pulls together sensor data, it was announced today.

Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) will set up the Smart Hub and develop a smart living master plan, in an agreement worth S$10 million (US$7.4 million).

The Smart Hub will collect data from various sources “into a central repository” located at the agency, HDB said in a statement.

This will allow the government to track housing estate operations and monitor the performance of key services such as lighting, pumps and waste collection, said Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development.

“The data collected can be analysed to help us optimise maintenance cycles and reduce operational costs”, and be used for predictive analytics to upgrade and replace outdated systems, he added.

Service disruptions such as lift breakdowns can also be addressed by analysing usage patterns, NCS - the contractor - said. “The Smart Hub will scale up to over 1,000 HDB blocks progressively from 2017 onwards”, it continued.

Further, HDB will partner with 3M to research and reduce noise in urban areas for a pleasant living environment.

Studies will include suitable building materials that can “absorb, reflect or reduce the transmission of noise within flats,” HDB said in a statement. Image from NCS's website