Problem 10

Problem 10

Physical Health

The future scene states that information is streamed continuously to the car to provide advice on the best route to her destination. Roadside furniture like traffic signals and road signs are also giving advice to her car for safe and efficient travel. The roadside technology giving data to the cars might have the connection disrupted or the systems could be physically damaged. This could be problematic as accidents may happen due to incomplete or inaccurate data.

Problem 9

Social Relationships

The future scene states that through her smart device, she is able to time her arrival at MRT stations and bus stops to minimize waiting time. When public transport apps are to breakdown in the future where people rely a lot on them to get around the jams, it may cause a massive jam that will inconvenience many. Such over-reliance on the app is a huge problem and should be corrected quickly.

Research

1. According to TODAYSMRT trains had a string of breakdowns in one week and this caused one incident alone caused around 19,000 to be stranded. Many commuters were unhappy about the disruptions. Thus we can see that if the system improve further, and when the system somehow breaks down, there will be massive inconvenience due to the reliance on these information

Sources

1.  JIANYUE, X. (2014, January 21). 19,000 stranded by third train delay in a week. Retrieved June 4, 2015, from http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/19000-stranded-third-train-delay-week  

Problem 8

Problem 8

Environmental Problem

The future scene states that there will be a car sharing scheme in the future where people will share cars.This might be problematic as the people using the car may be inconsiderate and throw litter all over the car. These litter include tissue paper, cigarette and possibly food wrappers. These items are unhygienic even if not used for a second time, especially tissue paper which may contain the previous user’s infected mucus or saliva which might be contagious.

Research:

1. According to the Straits Times, Singaporeans litter because they know that the cleaners will eventually come and clean up the mess. Moreover, it is also very rare for one to get caught littering in Singapore due to the lack of patrol officers in the districts, thus, many of us do not care if we litter because we have never been caught before.
2. NEA reports should that the number of fines given for litter doubled from that of 2013. This proves that litter in the car may be inevitable.

Sources:

1. As we can see from the NEA report on Channel Newsasia, the number of summonses given for litter doubled that of 2013 last year. This proves that litter in the car may be inevitable.
2. Sam Boh (2015, 10 Feb) Why is littering still a problem in Singapore? Retrieved March 29, from http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/environment/story/why-littering-still-problem-singapore-20150210
3. Kimberly Spykerman (2015, 1 Feb) More summonses for littering issues in 2014: NEA. Retrieved March 29, from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-summonses-for/1630408.html

Problem 7

Problem 7

Economics

The future scene states again that MRTs and buses will have intelligence systems installed in them to provide more user information. With the installation of such advanced facilities put in place, the fare might go up and could cause public outrage, as most people may deem this information useless because they are familiar with the place they go to often, which may severely affect the working adults who work quite a distance from home.

Research

1. The current annual increase in public transport last year was 2.8% and the public was already very unhappy with this because of the increase of just 2-5℄ per trip.

Sources:

Sha A. (2015, 22 January) Public transport fares up 2.8% by April 2015, public unhappy with Minister. Retrieved March 30, from http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2015/01/public-transport-fares-up-2-8-by-april-2015-public-unhappy-with-minister/

Problem 6

Problem 6

Defence

The future scene states that the car seamlessly takes over control from the driver. This might be problematic as the car might not actually require a person inside the car after has been set to go somewhere. This might be exploited by terrorists to bomb areas without revealing their identity, which would cause country-wide panic and deaths.

Research:

1. The FBI has warned about the dangers of how driverless cars can be turned into self-driving bombs and would also allow criminals to make getaways faster.

Sources: 

Harris M. (2014, 16 July) FBI warns that driverless cars could be used as “lethal weapons”. Retrieved March 29, from http://www.theguardiano.com/technology/2014/jul/16/google-fbi-driverless-cars-leathal-weapons-autonomous

Problem 5

Problem 5

Economics

The future scene states that you will not be required to own your own car as long as you are willing to subscribe to the car sharing scheme. This suggests that the demand for taxis might drop drastically as this car sharing scheme is far more convenient than waiting/calling for a taxi. Thus, taxi drivers might lose their jobs and Singapore may have higher unemployment rates.

Research

1. As of January 2015, the total taxi fleet in Singapore is 28,515 taxis, operated by six taxi companies and 180 independent drivers.

Sources:

Wikipedia (2015, 21 March) Taxicabs of Singapore. Retrieved March 29, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_of_Singapore

Problem 4

Problem 4

Miscellaneous (Landuse Problem)

The future scene states that the intelligent car sharing system causes cars to be parked at many different locations over the country. This sharing system may need more space to be used. This will cause land to be wasted especially in such a small country like Singapore. Less land will be available for other usage such as commercial buildings to efficiently use the land and not waste it on parking lots.

Research

1. The Ministry of National Development (MND) has stated that 12% of Singapore’s land has already been used up on roads, and the only expansions going to be made would largely be to serve new areas.

2. There are about 15 - 20 complaints every month about lack of parking spaces for private home-owners.

Problem 3

Problem 3

Education

The future scene state that the driverless car will seamlessly take control of the driver at times. This may pose a problem as some people would not feel safe in letting a machine take their lives in its hands, as they would not want the responsibility to be placed in lines of code. This may cause a decrease in the number of people who use these autonomous cars, which might cause a loss in this business.

Research:

1. In a British survey this year, almost half of consumers wouldn’t want to be a passenger in such a vehicle, and 43 per cent wouldn’t trust it to drive safely, according to the research commissioned by uSwitch.com. And 16% of people are “horrified” by the idea of being driven in one.

Sources:

The Independent (Published Friday 09 January 2015)People ‘horrified’ by self-driving cars, says survey, as trials begin. Retrieved : 4 June 2015 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/people-horrified-by-selfdriving-cars-says-survey-as-trials-begin-9968195.html

Problem 2

Problem 2

Technology, Economics

The future scene states that users of mobile apps which approximate times are extremely reliant on them for arrival times of buses and trains. This might be problematic as the servers inevitably experience downtimes or lag and people might be unable to get around as effectively and quickly as before due to this, which may cause nationwide productivity to go down.

Research

1. Productivity loss costs money per hour
2. Singaporean workforce works an average of 8-9 hour on working days
3. There are around 20-22 working days per month

Problem 1

Problem 1

Law and Justice

The future scene states that the car would seamlessly take over control from the driver at times, with the car making all the driving decisions. There may be a malfunction in the car’s autonomous driving system, which may result in an accident between driverless cars. This may cause a problem which is who will take responsibility for these accidents.

Research:

1. Laws have been implemented for Google’s driving cars in America, and they involve the manufacturers paying fines to the victims. However, this might not be the best punishment as in Singapore, negligent drivers are both fined and jailed.
2. In Singapore, a Mercedes Benz driver crashed into a cyclist, killing him. In the end, he was jailed for 4 weeks.

Sources:

Villasenor, J. (2014, April 25). Who Is at Fault When a Driverless Car Gets in an Accident? Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/04/who-is-at-fault-when-a-driverless-car-gets-in-an-accident/361250/ 

Low, A. (2014, September 24). Mercedes Benz driver jailed 4 weeks for death of coffeeshop assistant. Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/09/mercedes-benz-driver-jailed-4-weeks-for-death-of-coffeeshop-assistan/

Introduction to the Site

Welcome to our Project Group's online portfolio, a place where we will be updating constantly. We shall include the online Future Scene Six Steps, and also our research portfolio.

This is the future scene that we are currently working on.

"Bernice Tan, who is born and bred in Singapore, has never owned a car. She has never found the need to do so ever since she graduated and joined the workforce several years ago. She, together with her peers at her workplace, never understood the fuss made by senior colleagues over car ownerships. She recalled the time when her parents and her uncles were lamenting the reduction in vehicle quota to 0.5% in 2013, when she was still a student. Bernice has always found it pleasant using the comprehensive Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network and public buses to get around. The fully automated MRT runs on schedule almost all the time. So do the public buses that are equipped with intelligent systems, notwithstanding the many cars, vans and lorries that share the limited road space. Even when it rains, she remains assuredly dry as she makes her way along well sheltered walkways or in underground passageways from the transport hub. Through her smart device, she is able to time her arrival at MRT stations and bus stops to minimize waiting time. Moreover, she will know whether the next arriving bus will have available seats. In fact, users’ appetite for such transport-related information has increased – information that was once deemed ‘unimportant’ became ‘good-to-have’ over time, and now it is a ‘must-have’. On the few occasions when Bernice wants to drive, she will use a car from the car sharing scheme which she has subscribed to. The technology in the car has always been a marvel for her. The intelligent car sharing system allows users to locate the vehicle on their smart mobile devices and drive to their destination without having to return the car to its original location. The car can subsequently be picked up by another user from the previous location. En-route to her destination, information is streamed continuously to the car to provide advice on the best route to her destination. Roadside furniture like traffic signals and road signs are also “talking” to her car, giving advice for safe and efficient travel. This has come some way since the satellite-based road pricing system was introduced, with its compact on-board unit doubling up as a parking assistant and a versatile traffic information device, among other useful features. Such innovations have only be made possible with the leveraging of data from location-aware mobile devices, application of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) technology, as well as deployment of state-of-the-art video detection and surveillance systems. All Bernice needs to do to find out more about information on the roads is to refer to her on-board unit. Even if some of the cars she had driven did not possess such advanced integrated in-vehicle systems, these information can also be accessed through her mobile app. She can even track the routes she had driven in the car if she so wants too – all these information is archived in the on-board unit. But what fascinates her most are the occasions when the car would seamlessly take over control from the driver. Autonomous driving has become fashionable with higher-end vehicles, which she occasionally manages to get access. It would be at times like these, with the car making all the driving decisions, that she would literally sit back and appreciate all the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) that are used to make her daily travel so much more pleasant, safe and efficient in 2030." LIST OF PROBLEM CATEGORIES 1. Business and Commerce 2. Transportation 3. Social Relationships 4. Environment 5. Education 6. Technology 7. Recreation 8. Government and Politics 9. Religion and Ethics 10. Arts and Aesthetics 11. Physical Health 12. Psychological Health 13. Basic needs 14. Defense 15. Economics 16. Law and Justice 17. Communications 18. Miscellaneous 

We hope that you will enjoy reading!