Analytical/Critical Reflection

Before embarking on the journey of effective communication, I set out to improve my communication and writing skills through the duration of the course. I am glad to say that I have managed to improve my writing skills from exercises such as the readers response, annotated summary and technical report. I was able to achieve this from the comprehensive reading materials provided in the Google Docs and Symbaloo page. The reading materials were useful to me and I have created bookmarks for my personal reference when crafting future reports such as the IWSP report. I have also watched a TED video during the span of the course which helps me in communicating my ideas clearly to the audience. In order to continue improving my communication skills after the module, I have decided to watch a TED video bimonthly to learn useful techniques from industry experts.

The main challenge for my team’s project was to come out with an innovative solution for the engineering problem we identified. Our team compromises members of different backgrounds which can be considered as a strength as well as a weakness of our group. It was not easy for our team to agree on a solution due to the diverse experiences we provided during group discussions. However, our team was able to overcome this challenge and turned it into our strength through great collaboration. We worked on our solution by taking into account of every member’s inputs and I am happy to say that we managed to come out with a well thought out solution. From this project experience, I learnt that it is important for every member to have an open mind and be receptive to the opinions of our peers. I would like to sum up my learning experience with a personal quote, “A good idea can be made greater when we accept feedback from others.”

It was a wonderful experience to be part of the Presentation Showcase as it was my first time presenting to a bigger group of audience compared to a classroom setting. The feeling was nerve racking, but I am glad that I managed to portray a certain level of calmness during my presentation. I think I did well in explaining my team’s product to the audience which aids the audience’s understanding of our solution. One of the key issues I tried to address during the presentation was about keeping my audience engaged with my body language and eye contact which was an important factor to grab the audience’s attention. Another problem I faced during the presentation was the tendency to look at the audience who are seated on the higher levels due to the elevation of the lecture theatre. I think these weaknesses can be easily overcome through the rehearsing of the presentation at the venue itself. I am thankful for the opportunity provided as it allows me to gain exposure in presenting to a larger group of audience. 

People often say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” So here are a few pictures to summarise my journey in effective communication. 

"It's a wrap!"

Team Energy Savers at the Presentation Showcase

TED video: https://youtu.be/7Lc_dlVrg5M

Commented on Alfian's, Akram's, Baizurah's, Javier's and Jordon's posts. (Blog Buddies)
Commented on Aufal's, Nurul's and Wei Wen's posts. (Team Energy Savers)

Technical Report

1.0  Introduction

1.1  Background of Problem Identified

This proposal has been prepared in response to the letter of authorisation requesting for proposal on developing sustainable solutions to an engineering problem. 

Electricity has become one of the essential daily needs. With the continued development of technology that requires electricity, the demand for electricity to power up electrical devices has also increased. Despite the importance of electricity, many people are still unaware that they may be responsible for electricity wastage in their everyday lives. For example, electricity wastage is common in educational institutions as faculties and students often forget to turn off the air-conditioners, lights, fans and other equipment before leaving. In April 2018 alone, SIT@Dover has paid a total of $120,384.10 for 634,701.41 kWh of electricity. For more information, see Appendix A.

According to the Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore (n.d.), Singapore imports natural gas from Indonesia and Malaysia to generate approximately 95 per cent of her electricity. Even though natural gas is "cleaner and more energy efficient" than coal and oil, burning of this gas still releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Ng, 2018). Parfit (n.d.) claimed that it is evident that carbon dioxide produced by coal and other fossil fuels is warming the planet. The carbon emitted from the burning of these fossil fuels traps solar energy in the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to increase.

1.2  Existing Technologies

Motion sensors detect movements around a premise and are used in a wide variety of applications which include entryway lighting, automatic doors, hand dryers and intruder alarms. According to Riyanto, Margatama, Hakim, Martini and Hindarto (2018), one of the approaches to motion sensors operation is via motion detection by differentiating the foreground image from the background image to detect the moving objects. In the case of Passive Infrared Receiver (PIR), the device detects the change in infrared radiation caused by moving objects and responds by releasing output voltage (e.g. switching on the lights when a person enters the toilet).

In today's digital era, CCTVs are able to perform object monitoring, unlike the first generation of CCTV. According to Kaur and Singh (2014), human monitoring in video surveillance can be breakdown into four steps; video, background modelling, human detection and human tracking. The first step involves the recording of video footage in a designated area. Background modelling will then define the background in that designated area to differentiate moving objects from the background. Following that, human detection will distinguish humans in the video by separating the foreground from the background. Finally, human tracking will monitor the movements of humans. This is also known as computer vision (CV) where the camera’s software analyses sequential frames of live video for differences and records a motion event when a significant change is detected.

Currently, many new buildings have installed a Building Management System (BMS) to control and monitor the building's electrical equipment such as lightings and power systems. However, in SIT@Dover, electrical appliances such as lights, air-conditioners and fans are operated manually. If students and faculties do not switch off these appliances after leaving the rooms, it will lead to electricity wastage. So, an ideal campus should have an automation system to switch off these appliances when no one is using them.

Human Monitoring Interface (HMI) incorporates existing technologies such as motion sensors and human monitoring into the CCTV to automate the operation of such electrical appliances.

1.3  Problem Statement

Currently, electrical appliances such as air-conditioners, fans and lightings in SIT@Dover are left switched on even when the premises are unoccupied. An ideal situation would be to switch off these electrical appliances when not in use. However, based on our recent observations of SIT@Dover, these appliances are operated manually. Therefore, if the users do not switch off these appliances, it will result in unnecessary electricity wastage.

1.4  Purpose Statement

This proposal aims to propose to the SIT@Dover Estates Division to adopt HMI to the campus, and to emphasise to the Estates Division that this innovation reduces carbon footprint, electricity wastage and saves costs.

2.0  Proposed Solution

2.1  Incorporating Human Monitoring Interface (HMI) into the campus CCTVs

The team’s proposed solution to electricity wastage in SIT@Dover is to incorporate HMI into the campus CCTV. The HMI originates from combining the idea of human monitoring used in video surveillance and the application of motion sensors in buildings to improve energy efficiency.

In the context of reducing electricity wastage in the campus, CCTVs will be used to replace the need for motion sensors to automate electrical appliances such as lights and air-conditioners. Based on the team's observations, the campus has installed CCTVs in high asset rooms such as lecture theatres, computer labs and interactive classrooms to provide surveillance for the rooms. Existing CCTVs can be programmed to have human monitoring as an added function.

The concept of HMI is to detect students and faculties entering the classroom through the CCTV monitoring system and in response, the HMI will switch on the lights and air-conditioners in that classroom (refer to figure 1). Similarly, upon detection of students and faculties leaving, the HMI will then switch off the lights and air-conditioners (refer to figure 2).

Figure 1. Occupied classroom with HMI.

 Figure 2. Unoccupied classroom with HMI.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be incorporated into the HMI to create a more intuitive approach as compared to the rigid structure commonly found in the application of motion sensors in buildings. According to Jarrahi (2018), AI can assist to simplify complex problems by using the correlation between variables to provide a suitable solution from many possibilities.

In the case of HMI at SIT@Dover, AI can help to determine the call to action for various scenarios using software algorithms. For instance, if students are seen carrying their bags out of the classrooms, it would represent the end of a class, and the lights and air-conditioners can then be switched off. However, for students who entered the classroom with their bags but left without their belongings, the AI will help to determine the optimal time to switch off the electrical appliances.

The implementation of HMI to the campus CCTVs will be customised to individual classrooms. The advantage of this is that it does not affect the HMI’s operation in the entire campus in the event of a single HMI breakdown.

3.0  Benefits of Proposed Solution

3.1  Reduction in Carbon Footprint

With the implementation of HMI to the CCTVs, it reduces electricity wastage which will minimise the electricity consumption of the campus. With electricity consumption reduced, the demand for electricity will also reduce, resulting in a lower carbon footprint due to the reduction in electricity generation.

3.2  Low Implementation Costs

Instead of retrofitting the classrooms with motion sensors, CCTVs can do the job of the motion sensors by introducing a new function to the CCTV system known as human monitoring. Therefore, the campus can avoid the additional costs of purchasing and retrofitting the motion sensors into individual classrooms.

3.3  Innovation Breakthrough in Electricity Management

The adoption of human monitoring using CCTVs to replace motion sensors will provide SIT@Dover's building management with alternative electricity management. Motion sensors often face the challenge of finding a perfect placement for the device to achieve high accuracy. However, with the adoption of human monitoring in the CCTV, this challenge no longer exists. One of the main advantages of adopting this method is that it allows a greater analysis of the venue.

In addition, SIT@Dover can be the first to pilot this project. Upon successful implementation of the HMI, the campus can become a case study for other existing buildings to reduce electricity wastage. Therefore, SIT will be able to gain more publicity and improve its reputation among the other universities in Singapore.

3.4  Reduction in Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

Electronic waste contains toxic materials that are harmful to the environment due to the toxic chemicals it releases into the air when it gets warmed up. The implementation of HMI in CCTV reduces the need for motion sensors in the conservation of electricity. CCTV will then be able to serve an additional function of human monitoring apart from the initial purpose of surveillance. This will result in less electronic waste being generated due to the improvisation made to CCTV.

3.5  Cost Savings

With the implementation of HMI, electricity wastage in SIT can be minimized. This will lead to energy savings and lower electricity bills for SIT. Thus, allowing the school to have more funds that can be better utilized in other areas such as student development.

4.0  Proposal Evaluation

HMI addresses the identified electricity wastage problem at SIT@Dover. With the automation of electrical appliances, it will resolve the issue of operating these appliances manually.

The team has considered alternative automation technologies such as motion sensors and timers for electrical appliances. For instance, timers of electrical appliances in the venue are pre-set according to the booking timeslots. However, if the venue is used for a shorter period when compared to the original timeslot booking, it will lead to electricity wastage. So, the primary reason for choosing human monitoring is that it provides a balanced approach to the problem.

4.1  Challenges

One of the challenges faced in implementing the HMI is the limited accessibility of the software. The human monitoring software is generally used by law enforcers and is not readily available in the market. However, HMI can be developed by collaborating with degree programmes such as Software Engineering and Electrical Engineering in SIT. Collaboration is a good method for implementation of ideas through the capitalisation of specialities from the students in different courses. It can also help to enhance the collaborative culture in SIT and reduce the implementation cost since it is an in-house project.

Another challenge would be the accuracy of human monitoring in the CCTV. There may be chances of false detection by the device. However, this can be easily overcome through the provision of large amounts of data to the human monitoring interface (HMI) for deep learning to take place in the software analysis which will significantly improve the performance and reduce the possibility of error occurrence. According to Brownlee (2019), neural networks aim to decrease the chances of error happening.

Surette (2014) stated that a common concern raised by the public regarding CCTV is the loss of privacy. With the introduction of computer-enhanced systems, it may increase the intrusiveness of public surveillance. The purpose of integrating HMI into CCTV is to monitor the occupancy and automate the operation of electrical appliances in the classrooms. Hence, human monitoring software will only be detecting objects in the shape of a human. It will not invade the privacy of students as the HMI will not be able to identify the students. Moreover, classrooms in SIT @Dover have already been installed with CCTVs. Therefore, the campus would have already addressed the legal and social concerns earlier.

4.2  Limitations

One of the limitations highlighted during an interview with the team's sustainability-built environment professor was the possible effects the HMI could pose on the power consumption.

According to Bramberger, Brunner, Rinner and Schwabach (2004), the use of a pixel-based computation can help reduce the dependency on external access memory, resulting in better performance while minimizing the need for processing power. This could be a solution to reduce the power consumption caused by the HMI.

5.0  Methodology

5.1  Primary Research

Primary research was carried out in the form of an email interview with the SIT@Dover Estates Division, observations of electrical appliances consumption in the campus facilities and a personal interview with SIT sustainability-built environment professor.

The team had interviewed Ms Kerrie Soh Hwee Leng from the SIT@Dover Estates Division to understand the electricity consumption rate and systems used by the electrical appliances in the campus. For more details on the email correspondence between the team and Ms Kerrie Soh, see Appendix B.

The team had carried out a recce of the campus to observe the operation efficiency of electrical appliances. From the recce, the team noticed that lights and air-conditioners were in operation despite the rooms being vacant. For evidence of this, see Appendix C.

The team had also conducted a personal interview with SIT sustainability-built environment professor, Dr Kum Yong Juan, to evaluate the feasibility of the HMI. For a summary of this interview, see Appendix D.

5.2  Secondary Research

Secondary sources from academic articles and news articles were used to improve the credibility of the report. The scope of the articles ranged from the problem of electricity wastage to the application of human monitoring in video surveillance and motion sensors. The information found from the secondary research allows the team to innovate on existing ideas of automation technologies to suit the needs of SIT@Dover in reducing electricity wastage.

6.0  Conclusion

Electricity has an important role in our daily lives. However, the process of generating electricity have harmful effects on the environment, due to the byproducts released during the combustion of fossil fuels. One example would be the increase in carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation. The increase in carbon dioxide emissions leads to greenhouse effects that would cause Earth to warm up.

Therefore, it is crucial for us to use electricity wisely and reduce any forms of electricity wastage. The adoption of HMI will ensure minimal electricity wastage in SIT@Dover, through the automation of electrical appliances. The HMI adds value to existing CCTVs in the campus that mainly function as surveillance cameras. Thus, reduces implementation costs while playing a part in conserving electricity. SIT@Dover can also enjoy lower electricity bills to allow more funds for other usages. Most importantly, the introduction of HMI creates a potential for SIT to initiate a breakthrough in innovation for electricity management which would help SIT to further establish its reputation among other universities in Singapore despite being a relatively new university.

Reflection on Mapletree Forum

The forum provided me with good insights of the entrepreneurship industry. The various speakers shared about how innovation has brought success to their business. The founder of VersaFleet, Shamir shared on how he integrates technology into the logistics supply chain industry to develop innovative solutions for conventional work processes that consumes a lot of time. Through the help of technology, he was able to develop a new work process that is time efficient. With the growing problem of aging population faced around the world, it is important to increase work productivity to help improve the sustainability of an industry. 

One of the speakers, Eugene shared his experience in the food industry which I thought was very useful. He mentioned the importance of developing a product that has a value to appeal to the intended audience. An example, he gave was the discovering of grasshoppers as an alternative food source by the Israelis to improve food sustainability. He shared that it would be a challenge to convince the public to eat grasshoppers. Hence, he suggested the Israelis to discover the benefits it would bring if people were to eat grasshoppers. The public would be more likely to eat grasshoppers if there were attractive benefits to it. 

Another takeaway from the forum would be the importance of passion to succeed in what you have set out to do. The speakers all shared the same sentiments on the importance of having a certain level of enthusiasm in their entrepreneurship journey. They shared that most entrepreneurs failed because they lost their passion midway. 

Overall, I am grateful to be offered the opportunity to attend the forum.

*Commented on Jordon's, Javier's and Wei Wen's posts.

Summary Annotation

Perez-Lombard, L., Ortiz, J., Pout, C. (2008). A review on buildings energy consumption information.

Energy and Buildings, 40, 394-398. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2007.03.007

This article focuses on energy consumption in buildings. It looks at the energy usage in the world and how it differs over the years in different regions. It attributes the rise in energy consumption to economic growth, expansion of building sector and variety of building services offered such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The authors mentioned that the rapid increase in energy consumption and CO2 emissions in buildings have led to energy efficiency and saving strategies being a primary target for energy policies in many countries. HVAC systems take up the largest proportion of energy usage in both residential and commercial buildings. Office buildings are the biggest energy consumers and CO2 emissions producers in the commercial sector. Energy consumption of buildings in developed countries can form up to 20% to 40% of the total energy use. However, the authors claimed that the lack of consistent data makes it tough to study the underlying changes that affect energy consumption in the building sector. More complete building energy information should be made available to allow better analysis on the energy consumption. The authors' main aim with this article seems to be encouraging private initiative collaborations with the government to promote energy efficiency, new technologies for energy production, limiting energy consumption and raising social awareness on the rational use of energy in order to make possible for a sustainable energy future.

Edited on 10/04/2019 11.00pm
Commented on Akram's, Baizurah's and Nurul's posts.

Summary_Reader Response Draft #3

In the article "Eight failures that left people of Grenfell Tower at mercy of the inferno", Knapton and Dixon (2017) claimed that a series of flaws in building regulations had made the occupants of Grenfell helpless during the massive fire. Firstly, the government did not have regular review on building regulations. The last revision was implemented in 1986 by the National Buildings Regulations. However, it did not specify if external building materials had to be non-combustible. At Grenfell, the cladding used was unsafe because it had contained combustible materials. Furthermore, Knapton and Dixon (2017) stated that spaces in between the cladding helped the fire to extend to the levels above. The fire was also able to spread to other areas as fire doors were not installed. Firebreaks were deemed ineffective in a fire like Grenfell. The absence of a central sprinkler system made the upper levels more vulnerable as the fire hoses were not long enough. Moreover, the only staircase in the building was obstructed and filled with smoke. The lack of clarity in the fire risk assessment regulations also played a part.

While the article explained the contributing factors to the disaster at Grenfell Tower, it failed to mention the London Fire Brigade response to the situation. The fire brigade was partly responsible for leaving the residents of Grenfell at the mercy of the massive fire.

Firstly, the fire brigade was slow in decision making. In the article "Grenfell Tower: What happened" (2018), it was reported that one of the fire experts from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry claimed that the ‘stay put’ policy had significantly failed at 1.26am which was about half an hour after the arrival of the first firefighters. This meant that the initial plan for fire containment within the apartment had failed and the fire had spread to other parts of the building. However, the fire brigade took more than an hour to abandon the ‘stay put’ fire policy and start evacuating residents. The decision time was crucial for the residents in escaping. As time passed, smoke started infiltrating the stairway making it harder for an escape to happen. If the fire brigade had been able to come out with the decision quicker, the residents would not be left helpless in their apartments.

The fire brigade was also disorganized in responding to the situation. One of the survivors claimed to have witnessed bigger fire engines with high ladder being unable to go nearer to the building as the road were blocked by smaller fire engines that had arrived earlier (Mendick, 2018). It was surprising to know that bigger fire engines with high ladder were not immediately activated to fire situations at high rise buildings like Grenfell. The general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union mentioned the importance of an aerial appliance arriving first at the scene due to the strong supply of water it could provide (Sawer, 2017). This meant that there could have been a possibility of the fire being controlled from spreading to the entire building if the aerial appliance had responded to the fire earlier which may help to avoid the apartment fire from turning into a disaster.

The preparedness of the fire brigade was also in question. Booth (2018) stated that none of the firemen were taught on how to deal with cladding fires even when the issue had been surfaced within the organization. This meant that the firemen were fighting a fire they knew little about and may endanger themselves as well as the lives of the residents if they did not manage the cladding fires properly. If the firemen had been equipped with knowledge and skills in fighting cladding fires, more lives could have been rescued from the incident.

The flaws in building regulations may have left the residents of Grenfell helpless in the massive fire. We cannot exclude the role that the London Fire Brigade had played in the incident which was equally as important. If the fire brigade had better protocols for managing building fires, the fire at Grenfell Tower would have a less severe outcome.

References

Booth, R. (2018). Grenfell Tower inquiry: what we've learned so far. The Guardian. Retrieved, December 13, 2018 from
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/13/grenfell-tower-inquiry-what-weve-learned-so-far

Grenfell Tower: What happened (2018). BBC. Retrieved, June 18, 2018 from 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40301289

Mendick, R. (2018). The Grenfell Tower survivors: Lucky to escape, but living with the horror of what they saw. The Telegraph. Retrieved, May 24, 2018 from 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/24/grenfell-tower-survivors-lucky-escape-living-horror-saw/

Sawer, P. (2017). Grenfell Tower firefighters 'hampered' by equipment faults and delays. The Telegraph. Retrieved, July 8, 2017 from
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/08/grenfell-tower-firefighters-hampered-equipment-faults-delays/

Edited on 10/04/2019 10.55pm

Reported Speech: Xavi likes to bite his nails

Xavi claimed that he has a bad habit of biting his nails since young. His parents commented that the action of his is very unhygienic and suggested him to cut his nails using a nail cutter instead. However, Xavi rejected the idea of cutting his nails with a nail cutter as he was afraid of hurting himself. His parents then suggested to help him cut his fingernails to prevent him from biting his nails. He mentioned that as he grew up, he learned to cut his own nails and have managed to get rid of his bad habit.

Descriptive Reflection: Strengths and Challenges in Communicating

Dear Professor Blackstone,

My name is Lu Sheng and I am writing to formally introduce myself. I studied marketing in Temasek Polytechnic before making a switch to pursue civil engineering in university. After graduating from polytechnic, I was uncertain if marketing was the right course I wanted to study since I already understood the mechanics of it. Before I could actually decide on the course I wanted, I had to do National Service. I was given the vocation of an air force technician and that somehow rekindled my love for engineering. Since young, I have always enjoyed building structures out of lego blocks and because of that I took part in a structure building competition during secondary school. I decided to find out more about the engineering courses offered in university and concluded that civil engineering was the course I wanted. After all, I felt that civil engineering was a meaningful job and I wanted to challenge myself in taking this course.

One of my key interests would be traveling. I always make an effort to visit a new place every time I have the ability to do so. I love traveling as it helps to broaden my perspective and teaches me to appreciate the things around me. There is always something for me to takeaway after visiting a country. Another hobby of mine would be swimming. I find swimming to be a rather relaxing sport while keeping fit at the same time

.

One of my strengths in communication would be the ability to give presentations comfortably. This is probably due to the experience I have gained from my course of study in polytechnic. I often had to give sales pitches to lecturers and industry clients. I could say that I have managed to gain confidence from the numerous presentations I have completed previously. Nick Vujicic is someone I respect a lot in the world of effective communication. He highlighted to me the power of expressions that can be used to captivate the audience and I could not agree more with you that effective communication is not just science but also art.

My weakness in communication would be my poor command of the language. I always have problems dealing with grammar issues and I reckoned that it had got to be related to my lack of reading. I find the language complex with many rules to follow. However, I am willing to put in the effort to improve by the end of the course under the professional guidance of yours.  

Through the span of this module, I aim to become a better communicator and I hope to brush up on my language. I believe as an university graduate-to-be, there ought to be certain standards I have to uphold so as to carry out my tasks professionally.

I appreciate your time in reading this introduction and I hope you have a good day ahead.

Yours sincerely,

Lu Sheng

Edited 10/04/2019 11.05pm
Edited 22/01/2019 1.05am
Edited 20/01/2019 6.55pm
Commented on Baizurah, 20/01/2019
Commented on Alfian, 20/01/2019
Commented on Nurul, 20/01/2019