First-of-a-kind drone showcase at first Car-Free Sunday at one-north
Around 3.7km worth of roads - including Ayer Rajah Avenue, North Buona Vista Road and Portsdown Road - were partially or fully closed for the Car-Free Sunday at one-north.
SINGAPORE – Usually quiet on weekends, the innovation hub at one-north was transformed into a hive of activity on Sunday (April 29) with drone showcases and coding workshops during the latest edition of Car-Free Sunday.
Held outside the Civic District and Telok Ayer area for the first time, the home to numerous startups, research institutes, small-and-medium enterprises and multinational corporations saw 3.7km worth of roads - including Ayer Rajah Avenue, North Buona Vista Road and Portsdown Road - partially or fully closed for the event.
Jointly organised by JTC and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the event saw a turnout of more than 3,000 participants.
(Above) Jointly organised by JTC and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Car-Free Sunday at one-north saw a turnout of more than 3,000 participants. Photo: Koh Mui Fong/TODAY.
On top of participants zooming in and out on their Personal Mobility Devices and bicycles freely on designated lanes, the first-of-its-kind drone showcase was the highlight of a slew of specially curated innovation-related activities.
The drone showcase was aimed at promoting the safe and responsible flying of drones, and featured various innovative drone applications and technologies by commercial companies and government agencies.
Among the showcase were drones navigating through tree foliage to conduct aerial inspection of the tree crowns, as well as drones delivering a parcel and inspecting roof gutters for stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding.
(Above) The drone showcase was aimed at promoting the safe and responsible flying of drones. Photo: Koh Mui Fong/TODAY.
There was also an aerial obstacle course that drone enthusiasts could fly their drones through, as well as a workshop where they could tinker around and build a drone.
Other activities included workshops where participants learnt to convert an origami glider into a remotely controlled aircraft, or about a quadcopter’s different components, and a robotics jamming session where kids raced robots and battled with their friends.
Ride-hailing firm Grab also held a cycling mapathon where users cycled through one-north with mobile devices mounted on GrabCycle bicycles to capture high-resolution street-level images of key features such as parking spots, cycling lanes and accessibility infrastructure.
Grab’s internal mapping team, together with volunteers, will be using these images to populate a community-driven map called OpenStreetMap by marking out these key features in one-north.
Many families TODAY spoke to said it was a refreshing change to hold the event at one-north, and felt such novel innovation-themed activities could further ignite their kids’ curiosity.
“(At the previous editions), there were (mostly) carnival games but this is certainly a lot more interesting,” said civil servant Ni De En, 37, a Clementi resident who travelled to one-north for Car-Free Sunday with his three young children.
“I hope future editions of Car-Free Sunday can be held in different neighbourhoods.”
Taxi driver Raymond Yeong, 47, who was there with his 10-year-old son to try out the indoor drone challenge, said: “It’s good to expose them to new technology... because nowadays it’s the in thing.”
Mr Yeong and his son recently enrolled in a course to learn how to fly drones, and said the aerial obstacle course was a challenge for them to test their skills.
(ABove) Many families TODAY spoke to said it was a refreshing change to hold the event at one-north, and felt such novel innovation-themed activities could further ignite their kids’ curiosity. Photo: Koh Mui Fong/TODAY
While the activities made for an interesting day, some participants raised some concerns about the event, such as a lack of proper signage, activities being too dispersed, and riding hazards due to the many slopes within the district.
Mr Larry Lim, for one, felt the activities were more appropriate for older kids. The 38-year-old manager, who has a six-year-old daughter, also hoped for the workshop times to be extended longer.
Also, with so many activities sprawled out in different areas, it “somehow ended up being very messy” and dispersed, he said.
Housewife Yilin Phang, 37, also felt there could be better signage and more colour-coded zones to clearly demarcate between activities suited for different age groups.
(Above), Car-Free Sunday at one-north was flagged off by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Mr Khaw Boon Wan (second from right), and Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli (third from right). Photo: Koh Mui Fong/TODAY
Another participant who wanted to be known as Mr Chua, 51, said the event also lacked a proper information booth or brochures on hand to navigate the array of activities. Participants ended up circling around the area, he said.
“I have attended the last few Car-Free Sunday events and it has always been very well-organised…While it’s a good and (unique) initiative for people to gather, it is just (all over the place this time),” he said.
Car-Free Sunday at one-north was flagged off by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, and Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli.
