Tech

Here's how Singapore plans to become the smartest city in the world

Danielle Muoio

2016-05-03T19:36:08Z

Singapore could very well by the city of the future.

The small, Asian city state has some bold plans to introduce technological innovations to its citizens, some starting as early as this year.

Scroll down to see how Singapore is becoming the smartest city yet.

Driverless pods are coming to Singapore this year to shuttle people around the city.

The Driverless pods, made by Netherlands-based company 2 Getthere, will begin transporting people some time this year. The pods carry 24 people at a time.

Driverless taxis are also coming to Singapore in late 2016.

NuTonomy, a start-up born out of MIT, is working with the city to release driverless, electric taxis by the end of this year. The company wants to get thousands of such cars on the streets over the next several years.

Source: Mic

The island country is building a virtual Singapore — or a digital twin city — slated for completion in 2018.

Singapore's virtual city replica is being done by 3D design software giant Dassault Systèmes and the Prime Minister's Office in Singapore to show how certain events will affect the city, like a natural disaster.

Singapore's federal government will start tracking the elderly's bathroom visits using sensor technology.

singapore bathroom — MAN WATCHES TV IN HOTEL RESTROOM IN SINGAPORE REUTERS

The federal government is calling on private companies to install the sensors in the bathrooms of publicly run senior homes so that families can use the analytics to know if something goes wrong from afar.

Installing sensors in bathrooms is just one part of Singapore's Smart Nation program, which will also install sensors throughout the island.

The sensors will monitor everything from the cleanliness of public spaces to the movement of vehicles.

Source: Wall Street Journal

And the National University of Singapore is testing drone fleets that carry urgent documents. The program could expand if successful.

Helicopter manufacturer Airbus Helicopters is assisting with the project, which will have fleets of drones carry the documents to different parcel stations on the college's campus. If everything pans out, there will be a second trial that uses the drones to carry goods like urgent medicine to ships anchored along the Singapore coastline.

Singapore