When SS first embarked on the project of building the first SiReNT-ready Mobile Data
Terminal (MDT) with Infowave, we had the vision of an MDT that can be fitted in vehicle
fleets and provide reliable and affordable positioning for users in the fleet management,
security, and public sectors. The MDT would allow users to even determine which side of
a road a vehicle is on. If the driver drives in a dangerous manner like weaving in and
out of traffic, he/she can be tracked and held responsible should any incident. As this
was the first joint development between SS's SiReNT team and an external party, we told
ourselves to enter with open minds and learn as much as we can from Infowave in telemetry,
navigation and vehicular tracking. Here's our journey...
January 2008: SLA and Infowave started on the MDT project that incorporates SLA's
SiReNT differential global positioning system (DGPS) corrections. Numerous meetings were
set up. Hours were spent discussing the technical problems that might crop up. It was
during this time that we got our first look into how a private solutions-provider work.
February 2008: Infowave loaned us a prototype platform for us to understand the technology
behind the MDT. This helped us understand the technical details of creating an MDT and the
challenges of incorporating SiReNT into it. By having this background understanding, we were
also better able to advise Infowave on SiReNT's capabilities.
April 2008: As we started tests incorporating SiReNT into Infowave's MDT, we faced problems
in areas like hardware communication connections and the instability of the prototype platform.
There were times of impasse and we had to work really hard to overcome and solve those technical
problems. Eventually, all the effort was well-worth it as we overcame the problems and along the
way, gained valuable experience which will put us in good stead for future endeavours.
May 2008: The first SiReNT-ready MDT was born! However, this was not the end of it. We continued
conducting tests, both static and dynamic, which brought us to different areas of the CBD, the
underground tunnels along the CTE and KPE to collect data. To see if it is really effective, see
the test results on the right!
June 2008: Infowave arranged a briefing with an established reporter from the Straits Times to
publicise the MDT. As we brought him around in a van to see the results of the MDT, we knew that
all our hard work had been worth it. He told us how impressed he was with the stability of the MDT
and the accuracy and reliability of SiReNT. Much interest has been registered in this exciting new
product and we hope to see it used widely by both the public and private sectors soon. Potential
customers who need a reliable and accurate navigation and tracking device now have a device to
increase their productivity and efficiency, the SiReNT-ready MDT.
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Derick (SS), Ang Chin Leng(Infowave) and Hua Seng (SS) worked very closely together
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Heartbeat
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Making a mess of the car to fit the MDT into it
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Test drive
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The results - Test drive around the CBD (Red - Uncorrected GPS, Blue - DGPS)
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The results - Static test (Left - Uncorrected GPS, Right - DGPS)
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