SINGAPORE — Expect to see more drones in Singapore’s skies soon.
Public sector agencies on the island state are planning to deploy Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to help them improve their operations.
To date, more than 25 potential uses of drones are undergoing trials, TODAY reported, citing a statement from the Transport Ministry released on Thursday. These trials are being facilitated by the inter-agency Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Committee, which is led by the Transport Ministry.
One such trial by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore involves the use of drones controlled from patrol boats for missions like search-and-rescue operations. The drone, named Water Spider, is expected to be operational from the second quarter of this year and is expected to complement helicopter flights and satellite images.
Meanwhile, the National Environment Agency is planning to use drones to improve its dengue control programme.
The NEA has been conducting trials on the use of drones for the surveillance of roof gutters in the last 12 months. The trials have shown that drones can access high places and provide good visuals of problematic areas.
The NEA also plans to expand trials to test out a drone that will be able to deposit larvicide, which kills mosquito larvae, into roof gutters. This trial is expected to end in the second quarter of this year.
An inter-agency proof-of-concept trial for the deployment of UAS at construction sites involves public sector agencies such as the Manpower Ministry, the NEA, the Singapore Land Authority and the Land Transport Authority.
Using SLA’s geospatial platform GeoSpace as the collaboration portal, participating agencies will be informed when an agency intends to fly a drone over a particular site. Other agencies can then tap on the same flight for their own purposes.
GeoSpace will also act as the repository for the sharing of captured data.
The Transport Ministry will be calling a tender at the end of this month to invite service providers to bid for a master contract for UAS services. “This is also to achieve better economies of a scale from the collective demand of public agencies for UAS services,” it said.
Pang Kin Keong, the chairman of the UAS Committee, said Singapore needs a UAS policy framework that is balanced, practical and sustainable, given the many potential applications and uses of drones, and their increasing availability and affordability.
Mr Pang, who is also the permanent secretary for transport, added: “We want to facilitate their use by industry and the public sector, and also hobbyists, but we must at the same time balance against aviation safety, public safety, security and privacy concerns.”
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore operates a one-stop online portal for all applications to conduct UAS activities. The portal allows people to apply for permits to fly their drones.
SingPost successfully used an unmanned aerial vehicle for point-to-point recipient-authenticated mail delivery in October.