Critical Reflection

Module Reflection

From the beginning of this module, I was curious about what is expected of me as I have no clue how important technical report writing and presentation were. However, after we went through the instructional units and assignments for the past 13 weeks, I understood that this module is very beneficial as it taught me how to write a quality report as well as to presentation confidently. I began to realize my limitations in my presentation skills and my shy personality makes me uneasy when presenting myself. During the first 2 weeks in class, we had many class discussions and when questions were thrown at me, my mind would subconsciously blank out and I needed some time before expressing my opinion. From observing my peers being able to express themselves freely made me realized the differences between my peers and I had and therefore motivated me to push myself to be better in presentation skills. To overcome my anxiety, I tried to express myself in class more often and read more news to practice on my language fluency to avoid tongue twisters. I believe that there are rooms for improvement and this module has gradually build my confidence.

Project Reflection

After a discussion on which project to work on, my team decided to work on SmartNav, which is brought up by Ahmad. My project groupmate Ahmad, had experience with maritime technology as he as a coast guard, we strongly believe that with our expertise and knowledge in engineering, we can propose our idea to improve the maritime industry. One of the most unforgettable moments that enlightened my learning outcome is during the mock presentation as I was the first speaker, I had little eye contact with the audience and numerous stuttering moments which made a bad impression for the team. Therefore, I told myself not to make the same mistakes and to better prepare myself for the final presentation, I started practicing in front of a mirror daily and doing multiple rehearsals with the team. I also learned that communication is one of the key factors to be a good team player. My groupmates strategized and split the workload accordingly which is done with mutual agreements during our meeting. We did an overall review to spot grammatical errors and ideas to improve on the project report. Also, we provide feedback for one another during the rehearsal for the final presentation. The key takeaway from this project is the teamwork that we have shown, mutual respect so that we can finish the task before the deadline. 

Annotated Summary

Muhammad, B., Kobayashi, E., Wakabayashi, N., Maimun, A. (2015). Risk of Navigation for Marine Traffic in the Malacca Strait Using AIS. Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, 14, pp. 33-40. Retrieved 6 March, 2020 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878522015002337

This article focuses on the data collected from Automatic Identification System (AIS) to examine the risk of navigating in a populated vessel traffic in Malacca Strait. The Malacca Strait being the longest strait in the world is an important trading route link between the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The increasing trades in East Asia has also increased the traffic in Malacca Strait that resulted in more vessel collisions. A research casualty data shown with the significant increase in maritime traffic had also increased the accidents occurred in 1975 to 1995. The overview of AIS is to receive data and examine the risk of navigation. AIS is function to obtain and monitor ships more than 300 gross tons internationally and 500 gross tons domestically. Using AIS data, an assessment was conducted at different time in specific areas of high traffic. The assessment was categorized with letter ‘A’ being no injuries and ‘E’ being the highest risk of death for several people for collisions cases, “Ship Head-on, Ship Overtaking, Ship Crossing”. These data greatly assist the ship operators to determine the probability of collisions and its consequences. These results are proven to be capable in ensuring the safety measures to improve the safety in Malacca Strait.

This article provides a knowledgeable information for our project to improve navigation of ships and reduce risk of collisions between vessels. From the aspect of safety, the data collected from AIS as shown in the article, will aid shipping industries and operators to mitigate the risk of collision. This would smoothed the maritime traffic and avoid any fatal accidents. As our project integrates both AIS and GPS, the article has provided useful information and statistics about the potential of AIS which connects to our research project.

Technical Report (Draft 1)

Introduction
This report introduces SmartNav and how it will greatly benefit the shipping industry of ships 300 gross tonnage and larger improving its efficiency and making sea travel safer. This product will greatly benefit seafarers, shipping and transport companies.

Background
16 of the world's cargo ships emit as much “lung-clogging sulphur pollution” as all the cars in the world (Pearce, 2009). Planning the shortest travel routes used by cargo ships, operating costs and the pollution produced by cargo ships can be reduced. From 2011 to 2019, there were 25614 ships involved in collisions. (EMSA, 2019) Ship collisions have many factors with human error being the largest factor.

According to the article “Modes of Transportation explained: Which type of cargo and freight transportation is the best?”(Carnarius, 2018), seaborne trading makes up 90% of global trading. Ocean freights are the preferred method of transportation due to being the cheapest method of shipping goods while also being able to transport high volume and heavy cargo which would not be transportable by air(Carnarius, 2018) (Refer to Appendix A). Ocean freights are also the most environmentally friendly method of transport while being able to transport goods around the world(Carnarius, 2018).

However, even while being the most efficient method of goods transportation, “shipping is responsible for up to 4% of all climate change emissions”(Vidal, 2009). Shipping produces up to 9% of nitrogen oxide and 30% of sulfur oxide pollution. This pollution is responsible for 60,000 deaths and costs up to $300 billion every year in combating lung and heart diseases(Vidal, 2009).

According to the article “HUMAN ERROR ACCOUNTS FOR 75% OF MARINE LIABILITY LOSSES” (Frith, 2017), human error accounts for between 75% to 96% of marine accidents. Maritime accidents cause many issues such as crew injuries, damaging cargo, the environment, and key infrastructures(Frith, 2017).


Problem Statement
There are products in the market that use GPS to plan routes but are lacking AIS, namely, the Garmin eTrex 20x. By integrating GPS and AIS, the ship will be able to navigate to the designated destination while detecting nearby ships to prevent collisions. Current products in the market use GPS to navigate the ship’s route. Considering just GPS, it could not detect ships within its range. SmartNav uses AIS to detect nearby ships to prevent collision and track and navigate to desired location.

Purpose Statement
The purpose of this report is to improve the efficiency of cargo ships, sailing it along the most efficient route and appropriate speed maximizing fuel efficiency as well as minimizing the risk of collision.

Proposed Solution
The proposed solution will be the SmartNav. It is a device that processes data from the onboard GPS and AIS and navigate the ship along the optimal route to maximize fuel efficiency while ensuring the prevention of collision with other ships. SmartNav will calculate the optimal route to its destination using input data from the GPS with fuel efficiency as its main consideration. While on this route, the ship uses AIS to detect the presence of surrounding ships nearby and determine measures needed in order to continue on the most optimal route while avoiding collision. An ideal navigation device automates steering of cargo ships through the integration of GPS and AIS.

Benefits
SmartNav will greatly benefit the cargo shipping industry by reducing overall shipping costs, optimizing travel routes, reducing emissions produced and increasing safety. Crew related expenses are responsible for up to 30% of a total ship’s operating cost. By reducing the required manpower needed to operate the ship, we can reduce the ship’s operating costs. Fuel costs make up to 60% of a cargo ship's total operating cost. By optimizing and utilizing SmartNav to plan the travel routes, we can reduce the fuel needed to operate the cargo ships. Thus, reducing the emissions produced and overall shipping costs. Up to 96% of all maritime accidents are caused by human errors. By minimizing the human element in ships, we can hopefully reduce the probability of maritime accidents.


Evaluations & Limitations
The limitations of the SmartNav are that the device relies on onboard technologies namely, GPS and AIS. As SmartNav takes in the data from these 2 systems, when one of the system malfunctions or gives incorrect data which would result in the ship being navigated along a sub-optimal route. This will cost more resources and even collisions. Furthermore, not all ships have AIS, smaller ships such as boats and sampans may not have AIS which may result in possible collisions with smaller ships.

SmartNav does not use radar which can detect objects near the ship. A ship’s radar range can detect objects up to 48 nautical miles away and can detect smaller boats near the ship. However, the radar range can be affected by many factors and will not be able to account for ships that are beyond this range which may affect the path of the ship.

Methodology
Secondary research sources were used as reference to acquire the information for our report.

Secondary Research
The team did thorough research on the current product in the market as comparison with our project to build a strong proposal. We

SmartNav is a device that merges two existing systems onboard ships, Automatic Identification System(AIS) and Global Positioning System(GPS).

Firstly, Automatic Identification System is a satellite tracking system used by pilot boats to detect nearby ships relative to their location. It provides the ships registered name, current position, course and relative speed, also the ship's travel history.

Secondly, the Global Positioning System is a navigational system used to tell their longitude and latitude in real time. Similar to maps, it can also produce a shortest/ fastest route to the destination.

SmartNav functions as a device that is mounted onto the helms of the ship and controls the movement and the throttle. Data collected from the two systems acts as an input and SmartNav will process them to attain a safe and most efficient route according to the GPS. SmartNav will then guide the ship along the set route. SmartNav is a realtime update device. This eliminates the need for ‘course made good’ which is a method currently used by navigator to counter factors such as drift which includes wind and current needed in order to travel straight. Eliminating the need to ‘course made good’ will affect in a shorter distance travelled, thus promoting efficiency. While proceeding along this route, if the AIS detects and picks up any other ships in or crossing its way, this signal will be sent to SmartNav. SmartNav will process for the next course of action then steer away and avoid collision.

Conclusion
In conclusion, SmartNav will increase the fuel efficiency of cargo ships and prevent collisions with other ships with AIS. Due to its ease of installation by using existing technologies onboard ships, it will not be difficult to install this device onboard current ships. If SmartNav is implemented in cargo ships worldwide, it will be possible to eliminate cargo ships collisions.

References

Pearce F. (2009, November 21). How 16 ships create as much pollution as all the cars in the world MailOnline https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1229857/How-16-ships-create-pollution-cars-world.html

Carnarius J. (2018, March 20). Modes of Transportation explained: Which type of cargo and freight transportation is the best? https://www.freighthub.com/en/blog/modes-transportation-explained-best/

Frith J. (n.d) Human error accounts for 75% of marine liability losses.  https://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/insurance,-legal-and-finance/human-error-accounts-for-75-of-marine-liability-losses

Stratiotis E. (2018, January 22). Fuel costs in ocean shipping. https://www.morethanshipping.com/fuel-costs-ocean-shipping/

Vidal J. (2009, April 9). Health risks of shipping pollution have been “underestimated” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution

Design Summary and Analysis (Final)

In the article “Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run”, Lin (2017) claims that the advancement of smart technology in running shoes can enhance the user’s performance. In 2012, popular sports brands such as UnderArmour (UA), released their UA Speedform Gemini 2 smart shoe which displays data such as muscle exhaustion, “cadence and pace” and monitor the “shoe’s mileage” through a mobile app, MapMyRun. According to Lin, in 2017, Altra smart shoes took it up a notch by not only making their footwear stylish, but also implementing sensors to detect irregular foot patterns and warn users through their “built-in” sole voice assistant to correct their footsteps and pacing. Lin also mentions that the voice assistant can prevent runners from any cumulative injury. On top of that, the shoes comprise of breathability and feathery features that enhance the user's comfort. In essence, smart running shoes have smart features that detect the runner’s foot pattern and provide feedback to reduce running related injuries. However, owning a pair of smart shoes is an excessive for the general consumers.  

Firstly, smart shoes may not be attractive enough for consumers. In order to make an impact in the running shoe industry, moreover, smart shoes need to stand out more to attract general consumers. For instance, Song (2019) mentions that a smartwatch which already had smart features that can track runners “distance, pace, splits, cadence and stride length.” Comparing this to a smart shoe with similar smart features, by looking at its popularity, the smart shoe will lose out. Smart shoe will need a more appealing technology that did not exist before such as adopting a new technology and implementing it into a shoe to benefit the runners (Alger, 2015). What consumer is looking for is the latest technology that can resolve their exigencies they need in their daily life which Alger hinted it could be happening in the future, but not up to this date.

Secondly, price plays a very important factor for general consumers. Heater (2017) comments that a higher tier of Altra smart shoe costs USD$220 and a lower tier one at about USD$150. This means that a smart shoe cost twice as expensive as a regular running shoe. Furthermore, Heater also states that runners are expected to change their running shoes several times in a calendar year as for frequent runners, their shoe soles will wear out quicker and eventually require a replacement. Thus, it is not budget friendly as runners are expected to change a new pair from time to time.

Even though runners have been worrying about the menace of injury all the time, owning a smart shoe would not necessarily prevent them from getting injured. Which Song then questions the need of smart shoe for runners who already knew the basic running techniques and do not need a replacement for the time being. Smart shoes can indeed assist in correcting runners foot pattern and reducing the prone to injuries, but because each individual have different running techniques, feedbacks from smart shoe cannot satisfy everyone’s standards. In addition, Ross (2007) claims how runners have been “eternally” facing injury issues and is unlikely that runner can simply adjust to a new running technique and reduce their prone to injuries. Hence, despite corrections by smart shoe, runners are still vulnerable to injuries. One will most likely able to reduce the risk of injuries from their running experiences and continuous training.

In conclusion, the future of smart shoes would be more constructive yet easy to use and mainstream to attract the vast majority. However, one key point is that smart shoes should have a perfect balance between price point and functions such that runners are getting what they paid for.  

Reference

Alger, K. (2015, August 25) The rise and fall of the smart shoe – and why they could be on the way back. Wareable. https://www.wareable.com/running/smart-shoes-875

 

Heater, B. (2017, April 16) Smart running shoes won’t make you faster, but they could help you avoid getting hurt. Tech Crunch. https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/15/altra-torin-iq/

 

Lin, N. (2017, September 20) Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run? Run Society. https://www.runsociety.com/opinions/smart-running-shoes-will-theychange-the-way-you-run/

 

Ross. (2007, September 24) Running technique – is there a ‘right’ way to run? Sports Scientists. https://sportsscientists.com/2007/09/running-technique-is-there-a-right-way-to-run/

 

Song, V. (2019, February 05) I Thought Under Armours' Smart Running Shoes Were Gonna Be Dumb as Hell, But I Was Wrong. Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/i-thought-under-armours-smart-sneakers-were-gonna-be-du-1832241172

Design Summary Analysis Draft 2

In the article “Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run”, Lin (2017) claims that the advancement of smart technology in running shoes can enhance user’s performance. In 2012, popular sports brand such as UnderArmour (UA) released their UA Speedform Gemini 2 smart shoe which can display data such as muscle exhaustion, “cadence and pace” and monitor the “shoe’s mileage” through a mobile app, MapMyRun. In 2017, Altra smart shoes took it up a notch by not only making their footwear stylish, but also implementing sensors that detect irregular foot patterns and warn users through their “built-in” sole voice assistant to correct their footsteps and pacing. Lin also mentions that the voice assistant can prevent runners from any cumulative injury. On top of that, the shoe compromises breathability and feathery features that enhance user's comfortability. Smart running shoes have smart features that detect runners foot pattern and provide feedback to make runners less prone to injury. However, for a runner to own smart shoe is inessential and there is a better option available in the market.

In the first place buying a smart shoe will never cross a general consumer’s mind due to little knowledge of the technology. Song (2019) mentions that “But if you’re a casual runner who knows the basics and your running shoes aren’t in dire need of replacement? Whatever you’ve got is probably fine.” As compared to normal running shoe, smart shoe is too pricey while featuring smart features which smart watch has currently in the market. A pair of smart shoe cost ranging USD$150 to USD$220 at least twice as expensive as a regular running shoe. However, for frequent runners their shoe soles will wear out quicker and thus required a replacement. Therefore, it is not budget friendly as runners are expected to change a new pair from time to time.

Runners have been fighting against the menace of injury constantly. Although smart shoes assist in correcting runners foot pattern allow runners less prone to injury, eventually everyone has different running style and from their experiences they can figure out their preferred technique to run. Ross (2008) from sportsscientists website claims “the prospect of simply ‘learning’ a new running technique which makes you faster and less injury prone is too good to be true”. Song (2019) comments that beginners whom have no clue about cadence or stride, investing in a smart running shoes might prevent them from injuries to a certain extent. In contrast, a regular runner whom is experienced and skilled with their running techniques can prevent common foot injuries.

A preferable choice would be smartwatch because in recent years smartwatch is growing in popularity and has made its mark. Song (2019) compares smart shoes with smartwatches such as “an Apple Watch, Garmin tracker, or Fitbit” and called them “not all that special” as both smart technologies have similar smart features which track “distance, pace, splits, cadence, and stride length”. Hence, having a smartwatch is a better option for runners to monitor their exercise statistics and achieving fitness goals.

Ross (2008) also states that “runners who ran in shoes costing more than $95 actually were twice as likely to get injured than runners who ran in shoes costing only $40!” which sounded contradicting how better shoes are causing the injuries. Due to smart shoe high cost and how frequently the shoes will be worn for running, it will eventually require a replacement and this result in exceeding budget. In addition, smart running shoes can reduce injuries with the feedback to correct runners foot pattern but sustaining to injury is inevitable. All in all, smart running shoe being able to change runner’s running method is highly controversial.

Reference

Lin, N. (2017, September 20) Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run? Run Society. https://www.runsociety.com/opinions/smart-running-shoes-will-theychange-the-way-you-run/

Song, V. (2019, February 05) I Thought Under Armours' Smart Running Shoes Were Gonna Be Dumb as Hell, But I Was Wrong. Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/i-thought-under-armours-smart-sneakers-were-gonna-be-du-1832241172

Ross. (2008, March 04) Running shoes: Solution or problem? Sports Scientists. https://sportsscientists.com/2008/03/running-shoes-solution-or-the-problem/

Design Summary Analysis Draft 1

In the article “Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run”, Lin (2017) claims that the advancement of smart technology in running shoes can enhance user’s performance. In 2012, popular sports brand such as UnderArmour (UA) released their UA Speedform Gemini 2 smart shoe which can display data such as muscle exhaustion, “cadence and pace” and monitor the “shoe’s mileage” through a mobile app, MapMyRun. In 2017, Altra smart shoes took it up a notch by not only making their footwear stylish, but also implementing sensors that detect irregular foot patterns and warn users through their “built-in” sole voice assistant to correct their footsteps and pacing. Lin also mentions that the voice assistant can encourage runners and avoid runners from any cumulative injury. On top of that, the shoe compromises breathability and feathery features that enhance user's comfortability. Smart running shoes have smart features that detect runners foot pattern and provide feedback to make runners less prone to injury. However, considering the price point on the higher end as compared to normal running shoes and it is unpopular option for general consumer to own a smart running shoe hence drifting consumer away.

Typically, purchasing a smart shoe will never cross a general consumer’s mind due to little knowledge of the technology. From Gizmodo website, Song mentions that “But if you’re a casual runner who knows the basics and your running shoes aren’t in dire need of replacement? Whatever you’ve got is probably fine.” Song compares smart shoes with smart watches such as “an Apple Watch, Garmin tracker, or Fitbit” and calls them “not all that special” as both smart technologies have same smart features which track “distance,

pace, splits, cadence, and stride length”. Also, by comparing a smart watch and a smart shoe lifespan, smart shoe is more likely to be replaced more frequent due to wear and tear from running.

As compared to normal running shoe, smart shoe is too pricey while featuring smart features which smart watch has currently in the market. A pair of smart shoe cost ranging USD$150 to USD$220 at least twice as expensive as a regular running shoe. For that price tag runners are getting what they paid for, the smart features. But for frequent runners, their shoe’s sole will wear out quicker and thus runners will have to replace them. From quartz website, Bain stated that a typical running shoe is expected to have a lifespan of “450 miles of use”. Therefore, it is not budget friendly as runners are expected to change a for a new pair from time to time.

Runners have been fighting against the menace of injury constantly. Although smart shoes assist in correcting runners foot pattern allow runners less prone to injury, eventually everyone has different running style and from their experiences they can figure out their preferred technique to run. Ross from sportsscientists website claims “the prospect of simply ‘learning’ a new running technique which makes you faster and less injury prone is too good to be true”. From Gizmodo website, Song comments that beginners whom have no clue about cadence or stride, investing in a smart running shoes might prevent them from injuries to a certain extent. In contrast, a regular runner whom is experienced and skilled with their running techniques can prevent common foot injuries.

Ross also mentioned that “runners who ran in shoes costing more than $95 actually were twice as likely to get injured than runners who ran in shoes costing only $40!” Due to its high cost and how frequently the shoes are worn for running, it will eventually require a replacement and this result in exceeding budget. In addition, smart running shoes can reduce injuries with the feedback to correct runners foot pattern but sustaining to injury is inevitable. All in all, smart running shoe being able to change runner’s running method is highly controversial.

Reference

Lin, N. (2017, 09 20) Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run? Retrieved and adapted from https://www.runsociety.com/opinions/smart-running-shoes-will-theychange-the-way-you-run/

Song, V. (2019, 02 05) I Thought Under Armours' Smart Running Shoes Were Gonna Be Dumb as Hell, But I Was Wrong Retrieved and adapted from

https://gizmodo.com/i-thought-under-armours-smart-sneakers-were-gonna-be-du-1832241172

Ross. (2008, 03 04) Running shoes: Solution or problem? Retrieved and adapted from https://sportsscientists.com/2008/03/running-shoes-solution-or-the-problem/

Design & Summary (Draft 2 with Thesis statement)

In the article “Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run”, Lin (2017) claims that the advancement of smart technology in running shoes can enhance user’s performance. In 2012, popular sports brand such as UnderArmour (UA) released their UA Speedform Gemini 2 smart shoe, which can display data such as muscle exhaustion, “cadence and pace”, and able to monitor the “shoe’s mileage” through a mobile app, MapMyRun. Lin also mentions that in 2017, Altra smart shoes took it up a notch by not only making their footwear stylish, but also implementing sensors that detect irregular foot patterns and warn users through their “built-in” sole voice assistant to correct their footsteps and pacing. The voice assistant can encourage runners and avoid runners from any cumulative injury. On top of that, the shoe compromises breathability and feathery features that enhance user's comfortability. Smart running shoes are more expensive as compared to regular running shoes but even so, users can reduce risk of injuries with the feedback provided

Reference

Lin, N. (2017 09 20) Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run? Retrieved and adapted from https://www.runsociety.com/opinions/smart-running-shoes-will-theychange-the-way-you-run/

Design & Summary (Draft 1)

In the article “Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run”, Lin (2017) comments that the advancement of smart technology in running shoes can enhance user’s performance. In 2012, popular sport brand such as UnderArmour (UA) released their UA Speedform Gemini 2 smart shoes which can display data such as muscle exhaustion, “cadence and pace” and monitor the “shoe’s mileage” through their mobile app such as MapMyRun. In 2017, Altra smart shoes took it up a notch by not only making their footwear stylish, but also implementing sensors that detect irregular foot patterns and warn user through their “built-in” sole voice assistant to correct their footsteps and pacing. The voice assistant can encourage runners and avoid runners from any cumulative injury. On top of that the shoe also compromises breathability and feathery features that enhance user's comfortability.

Reference

Nathan Lin. (2017) Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run? Retrieved and adapted from https://www.runsociety.com/opinions/smart-running-shoes-will-theychange-the-way-you-run/

Letter of Introduction

Subject: Self-introduction

Dear Professor Brad,

My name is Chester, currently studying mechanical engineering at Singapore Institute of Technology as a year 1 student. I graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a diploma in mechatronics in 2017. Apart from studies, I have a interest in doing community service. I have been doing volunteering such as Red Cross, visiting old folks’ homes and doing spring cleaning for elderly homes. Having the ability to help needy people and seeing them smile warms my heart. Which is when I was doing research on robotics during my poly days and seeing robots assist impaired people and support them everyday sparks my interest in engineering.

My weakness is speaking to a large group of people which I had experienced during my National Service days. I was not very confident while conducting lesson for over 300 people in an auditorium. I would say that I am confident speaking with a smaller group as I am able to focus better without facing a huge number of eyes staring at me. 

The goals that I wish to achieve from this module are being an engaging presenter and improving my presentation structure. I hope to be more charismatic and also having a sense of humor to make the audience feel engaged and more energetic. Structuring a presentation allows the audience to understand the message I want to get across and it adds clarity to my argument using diagrams that support my main ideas.  

I believe that with the correct communication skills set can help me in the future in the workplace. Having said that, I look forward to your classes and strive towards my goal in communication skills.

Best regards,

Chester Lim

Welcome to Chester’s blog