Startup showcase at Singapore Airshow excites onlookers

Singapore

EMOTION-detecting video analytic platforms, 720-degree panoramic drones and virtual reality (VR) headsets that project life-like replicas of large scale properties are just some of the innovative technologies demonstrated at What's next @ Singapore Airshow.

This is a startup showcase premiering at the Singapore Airshow. It consists of nearly 70 exhibitors from nine different countries including Malaysia, China, the United Kingdom and Russia.

On display were some of the latest technologies, in areas like VR, unmaned aerial vehicles, deep-learning, big data, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Most of the exhibitors told The Business Times that they were at the showcase to look for potential investors or partnerships.

Exhibitors also had the opportunity to pitch to a panel of judges there.

There were a total of 16 judges over the two days, from companies such as China First Capital Group, ST Engineering and Saab.

Lars Rönnquist, vice-president and head of Saab Singapore, said: "It is very valuable for us as an established company to have the opportunity to meet and listen to the different ideas and possibilities."

He declined to reveal which startups Saab was particularly interested in, but he said that the company would look into several startups that could complement some of the products in their security business.

One of the foreign startups that attracted attention was Malaysian tech company VR Lab.

It has created a platform that allows VR users to experience room-scale projections that are identical to the real-life measurements.

Phuah Kien Sing, VR Lab's chief of staff, said: "Every single step you take is exactly the same as you would in the real world."

He pointed out that the platform can be used to facilitate the sale of large-scale objects, such as properties, ships and aircraft.

Additionally, the product allows multiple users to access the same VR object from different locations at the same time, as long as they are online.

Another foreign company that generated significant buzz was Chinese drone solution startup VAI1.

It brought along a 720-degree panoramic drone that the company claimed had the capability to broadcast real-time panoramic VR views, without any obstruction by its propellers.

While the startup comprises mainly university students, VAI1 chief executive Li Han said the company is already working with telecommunication giant Huawei to provide aerial VR broadcast.

He added that the company would start negotiations with US conglomerate Honeywell back in Shanghai after the airshow.

Singaporean-based image and video analytics specialist Graymatics demonstrated a software that could identify the attributes of people in live video feeds in real-time. This includes age, ethnicity, gender, the type of clothing and even emotions.

The company said the analytic software has deep-learning capabilities, and would automatically learn to match certain facial features to different types of emotions.

Graymatics' pre-sales manager Siril Saji George said the current video analytic software has an accuracy rate of 92-95 per cent.

He added that what sets the company apart from competitors is that its software can work with existing setups, including both analogue and Internet protocol (IP) security cameras.

Some of the exhibitors caught the eye of members from governmental organisations such as Defence Science and Technology Agency, A*Star, and Republic of Singapore Air Force, as well as Airbus and Thales.

Kevin Chow, Thales Singapore's country director, said he had a look at some startups that could offer solutions in areas such as smart airport and personalised customer experience.

"Disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, connectivity and mobility are changing the way consumers, businesses and governments function," he added.