Seamless Wi-Fi on the move
Prof Wong (centre) taking a ride on a shuttle bus equipped with an On-Board Unit for continuous Wi-Fi connectivity
The University community can now enjoy a seamless enhanced Wi-Fi experience while travelling between destinations on campus on all the NUS shuttle buses, thanks to the deployment of wireless mesh vehicular technology.
Singapore’s first deployment of mesh network of connected vehicles is the result of a collaboration between NUS and StarHub with ComfortDelGro Bus and Veniam, the company that delivers the Internet of Moving Things, building vehicular networks that expand wireless coverage.
A mesh network of connected vehicles consists of a web of Wi-Fi hotspots integrated onto vehicles which dynamically connects vehicles to one another or to an external access point, so that data can be intelligently routed to reach the Internet.
From June, the entire fleet of 39 NUS’ shuttle buses was progressively fitted with an On-Board Unit each, with 15 access points set up across Kent Ridge campus. The access points, of which six are located at bus stops, are powered by a combination of Dedicated Short Range Communications connected vehicle technology, 4G and Wi-Fi. By converting buses into Wi-Fi hotspots, the buses operate as mobile sensors as well, capturing useful data on users’ physical movements and Internet usage. This disruptive approach expands the University’s existing Wi-Fi network.
The year-long pilot collaboration is part of the NUS Living Lab initiative, led by the Interactive and Digital Media Institute (IDMI) at NUS, to transform the University into a major test-bed for new technologies. Start-ups, firms or multinational companies can then use the University as a real-world setting for controlled trials of new services before they are commercialised.
IDMI Deputy Director Professor Lawrence Wong from NUS Electrical and Computer Engineering leads the NUS Living Lab initiative. Speaking of the data that would be collected, Prof Wong said, “It will be a very rich resource for us in terms of data analytics to understand how the community within the campus moves around and that data can be used either for research or for operational improvements for our facilities.” Tracking crowd movement was part of a larger programme of developing people heat maps, shared Prof Wong, “not only on moving buses but across the entire campus”.
Prof Wong highlighted the growing interest in wireless mesh technology given the government’s push towards a Smart Nation. “The deployment of wireless mesh vehicular technology will allow NUS to conduct research in areas such as wireless mesh network enhancements, commuting and mobility trends, and other technologies that will drive us towards becoming a Smart Nation,” he added.
See press release and media coverage.
