PUB – Swan Operator might be a job listing soon enough.
No, it’s not about having an ER for swans in Singapore, but robot-freaking-Swans.
Swan Who?
PUB’s new robot was jointly developed by the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI).
Apparently, NUS won the naming contest, and got to call it the “NUSwan”.
NUSwan is actually stands for “New Smart Water Assessment Network” (NU.S.W.A.N). Don’t worry, we couldn’t add up the letters too.
Here’s how a S.W.A.N looks like:
We did the research, and not much is known about the exact specs of the swan’s propeller system, but it looks like a custom build.
To be honest, it looks like NUS is taking a few lessons from SMRT on how to secure things together. It’s far too ugly to be a conventional RC boat model, and parts of the boat look like they’ve been duct-taped together.
Swan Can Do
We do know that the Swan will be able to collect water samples, test water pH, conductivity and temperature. Other than that, NUS is prototyping the use of a new phosphate sensor on the Swan to detect potential algal blooms.
Looks like PUB really wants to prevent Singapore’s water catchment areas from looking like China‘s coastline. NUS has been testing the Swans since 2013, and they are ready to be released to reservoirs to increase their biodiversity.
In case you haven’t heard, PUB’s showcasing 3 new gadgets on Singapore Water Week. Get this: Robot swans, UAVs and wireless sensors, 10th July. -VulcanPost.com
