Under the efforts of the New South Bound Policy, Taiwan and Malaysia engage in active industrial collaborations to create win-win partnerships that foster the sharing of experiences in industrial, economic and human resource developments. Taiwan has built up a strong competitive edge as a result of its long-term devotion to and achievements in electronics manufacturing, refined agriculture, smart healthcare, biotechnology and particularly eye-catching artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT advances. Taiwan's strength in technology, industry and talent will enable it to play an important part helping drive Southeast Asia's economic growth.
The Institute for Information Industry (III) organized the 2020 Malaysia-Taiwan Industrial Collaboration Summit - Smart City Sub-forum under the guidance of Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), with an aim to keep strengthening the integration of the industry value chain under the New South Bound Policy initiative. The two-day event took place on September 17 and 18, 2020 in an online format for the first time due to COVID-19. Participating Taiwan-based firms in IDB's Smart City Development Projects including Papago, MoGaMe Mobile Entertainment, Iscom Online International Information, Avalue Technology, OPEN LiFE, Quadlink, Kiwi Technology and GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology presented their smart applications and services that demonstrate their strong local R&D capabilities built in the three-year engagement in the projects. Malaysian investors and government delegates also joined the event to enhance communication between smart city industries of Taiwan and Malaysia and create matchmaking opportunities.
Pingtung Da Long Wang farm uses AI to grow dragon fruits
Pingtung Da Long Wang farm makes use of AI technologies to control fruit illumination and integrates AI with augmented reality (AR) smart glasses to build AI models for back-end flower thinning and artificial pollination. It is able to boost pollination success to 70% while lowering the error rate of manual fruit sorting by 20%. On top of that, AI technologies coupled with video cameras can detect the extent of surface damage on dragon fruits within one second. This can significantly help determine the quality and grade of dragon fruits and thereby hoist throughput.
Malaysia-based Nexus Union saw the potential of the AI-enabled smart agriculture solution and entered into an agreement at the event to introduce the solution to a 500-hectare farm in Sabah. The deal will be supervised by a Malaysian investment consulting firm. A pilot project will kick off first on a 15-hectare area of farmland.
Papago's AI-enabled face recognition solution
Aside from the collaboration deal in smart agriculture, the event also successfully brought together Papago and a Malaysian investor. The two parties have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to use Papago's solution combining face recognition and body temperature detection at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to help Malaysia cope with a second wave of COVID-19 outbreak. Papago develops its face recognition platform Face8 on top of a strong AI-based image and face detection core coupled with protection and monitoring by robust information security implementations as well as cross-sector innovative applications enabled by blockchain technologies. Face8 has been widely used in banking institutions, fitness clubs and designated driver services in Taiwan. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Papago has added infrared (IR) temperature sensors to Face8 to incorporate temperature detection with face recognition. The aim is to drive the adoption of contactless detection solutions to prevent risks of cross infection while implementing real-name registration to allow traceability.
MoGaMe develops IoT sensors based on low earth orbit satellite communication
Another noteworthy MOU deal reached at the event was the one signed by MoGaMe Mobile Entertainment and Rui-Tang Tsai, director, IoT Technologies and Solutions, Smart System Institute, III. MoGaMe was awarded a tender project from National Space Organization and has since accumulated abundant experiences in developing smart IoT devices, for example, an electronic chart and automatic identification system (AIS) that tracks vessel positions and sends/receives messages via communication payloads on YUSAT. It can also be installed on islands for the purpose of making nautical charts.
MoGaMe has also created a sensing device based on NB-IoT communication coupled with eSIM modules. Leveraging its experiences in developing sensors for use on low earth orbit satellites, MoGaMe was able to build an environment sensing device that maintains normal operation under harsh conditions. Powered by solar energy, the device is used in a smart water discharge monitoring system to address challenges arising from dramatic temperature changes in environments such farms, lakes or rivers.
III's Smart System Institute has long been committed to the research of forward-looking and critical technologies. By providing a specialized platform for ICT technology and system development, wireless communication protocol technologies, wide-ranging technical spec platforms and assistance with UI/UX interactive app and website interface design, III's Smart System Institute effectively helps manufacturers consolidate their product and service portfolios and enhance their competitiveness. It is making an effort to build a platform bridging Taiwan's and Malaysia's industries, through which Taiwan's AIoT solutions can take root and flourish in Southeast Asian markets. By integrating software and hardware systems, III's Smart System Institute looks to foster engineering teams and actively connect them with the global community.
Explosive growth of AIoT applications
AIoT applications took center stage at this year's event. Apart from AI and IoT integration, the combination of AI with blockchain, big data analytics, image analysis, voice analysis or a slew of sensors gives rise to a diversity of smart applications that address information security. For smart surveillance, Iscom Online International Information built a secure campus solution combining AI-enabled image and voice monitoring. Using voice recognition to help enhance image recognition, the solution stands out from traditional video surveillance applications that only rely on image recognition.
Among the AIoT solutions targeting diverse applications in precise agriculture presented at the event was Quadlink's Aquadlink Smart Aquaculture Application System, which makes use of remote monitoring, big data analytics and remote control IoT applications to improve aquafarm management and increase aquaculture production. In addition, an application that uses drones to spray farm chemicals on crops won a partnership opportunity engaging Taiwan-based GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology and Malaysia-based MATA Aerotech, which provides commercial drone services.
Kiwi Technology built a smart temperature control solution supporting multiple wireless communication technologies including LoRa for cold chain management of refrigerated goods in transit or in storage. It can be combined with a smart air quality management solution to measure and monitor carbon dioxide levels as an indicator of air quality in buildings.
IDB exerts active efforts in guiding Taiwan-based vendors to develop smart city solutions. In collaboration with 22 municipal governments, the central government allocates resources to address local needs raised by the governments of respective municipalities where vendors can test and refine their solutions. IDB has successfully guided 294 vendors who have created 223 smart applications, including AI-based air pollution monitoring and smart parking solutions. By consolidating resources from the government, industry, academia and research and integrating software and hardware systems, IDB aims to team up vendors with promising export potential, expand Taiwan's influence in Southeast Asia and lead the industry toward exporting high value-added integrated systems.
The 2020 Malaysia-Taiwan Industrial Collaboration Summit takes place online
Photo: IDB