JOINTLY ORGANISED BY NUS IT AND STARHUB
OUTDOOR WIFI DESIGN COMPETITION
Seen our solar Wi-Fi setup around campus & think it can look better? Now it’s your chance to have your winning designs fabricated campus-wide, plus stand to win up to $1,200 and the latest iPhone 14 Pro!
Challenge Statement
&
Theme
Theme: Sustainability
With the theme of Sustainability, you should rethink and redesign the existing outdoor Wi-Fi setup, which includes the enclosure and the mounting of the solar panel. The challenge is to make it aesthetically attractive while considering ergonomics, functionality, durability, and feasibility of production!
Notes: IP rights of all submitted designs will be owned by NUS and StarHub. The winning design(s) may be fabricated and deployed outdoors campus-wide. The winner(s) will be required to have a follow-up discussion on their design with the StarHub team. This is for the fabrication of their winning entry.
Important
Details
of
Competition
To participate in this contest, you must be a current student at the National University of Singapore and register before the submission deadline. Submissions are to be made via portal; the maximum file size is 10MB.
The contest period is from 20 March 2023 to 7 April 2023. The deadline for all submissions is 7 April 2023, 2359 hours.
There will be a briefing via Zoom on 22 March, 10am-11am. Meeting details as follows :
https://nus-sg.zoom.us/j/8216591670
Meeting ID: 821 659 1670
Your entry should include the following:
- Your design, in 3D, of the structure that houses the devices (enclosure), the pole on which to mount the solar panel(s) – double or single panel
- Exterior visual of the enclosure, which must include the NUS IT logo, the NUS IT mascot (bITbIT), the StarHub logo, and the “Powered by StarHub” logo
- A short write-up to provide the context of your design
Judging Criteria
Innovation (20%)
Does the design stand out, provide something new to the market or supplement/improve the existing product?
Aesthetics (20%)
The artistic value of the form, shape, colour, texture, finishing, engineering, the material used, etc
Durability (20%)
The quality and longevity of the design
Functionality (20%)
Ease of use, safety, and maintenance
Ergonomics (10%)
The overall interaction with the user
Feasibility of production (FOP) (10%)
How realistic it is, technically and economically, to bring this design to production and broad-scale use
What to design?
Timeline
22 Mar '23
Zoom Briefing Session
https://nus-sg.zoom.us/j/8216591670
Meeting ID: 821 659 1670
Briefing Materials: HERE7 Apr '23
Submission via portal!
https://starhub.typeform.com/to/Dj0svIQB10 – 14 Apr’23
Judging
Apr '23
Winners AnnouncementMay '23
Award Ceremony
Prizes
$1,200 Cash +
iPhone 14 Pro 512 GB Gold
$800 Cash +
iPhone 14 Plus 256GB Starlight
$500 Cash +
iPhone 14 256GB Starlight
About
Outdoor
Wi-Fi
At NUS, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation and technology. Through partnership with StarHub, Singapore’s very first outdoor wireless campus, powered by 5G and solar energy, is right here at NUS!
Realising that the traditional approach of laying underground power and fibre optic cables for outdoor wireless coverage posed a huge obstacle as it is labour- and resource-intensive and costly, we sought an outdoor solution that could cover the vast open spaces within the campus to complement our high-performance indoor wireless network.
The onsite installation for each setup was completed over a rapid four days. Each setup was self-sufficient and resource-efficient, and comprised solar panels and a 5G router, solar charger, battery, and an IoT gateway housed securely within an enclosure.
The effectiveness and efficiency of the Outdoor Wi-Fi have unlocked the potential for us to extend wireless coverage to up to 100% of campus grounds, even in hard-to-reach areas, enabling seamless connectivity indoors and outdoors: from lecture theatres to car parks and open field areas… and that is where you come in. The winner will leave a permanent mark at our NUS Campus!
Frequently asked questions
Pre Submission
How do I register?
You can register here!
Is briefing mandatory?
No, but highly encouraged! Meeting is via Zoom and details are below :
https://nus-sg.zoom.us/j/8216591670
Meeting ID: 821 659 1670
In any case, briefing materials are available online!
How do I access briefing materials?
Via this link!
Are entry ideas developed by a team or group eligible to compete?
No, this contest is only open to individual participants.
Can I propose additional devices in my design?
Yes, there are no restrictions to what you can add to your design but do take into consideration the energy consumption of the setup.
Are any prototypes required in my submission?
No prototype is required, it’s only a digital submission.
Where are the terms and conditions for this contest?
You can find the document with the full terms and conditions in the Google Drive
Submission
How do I submit my entry?
Please upload your submission to https://starhub.typeform.com/to/Dj0svIQB
Can I submit more than 1 entry?
No, each participant can only submit a maximum of 1 entry.
Can I submit a Word or PowerPoint file?
No, we only accept the following formats : PDF, JPEG, and PNG.
Can I submit a hard copy entry?
No, we will only accept soft copy entries via submission portal in PDF, JPEG, and PNG.
How do I know if my entry has been successfully received?
An acknowledgement screen will be shown when we receive your entry.
When I submit my design for this contest, what rights do the organisers have to my submission?
By entering your design into this contest, the intellectual property of the submitted design shall be owned by NUS and StarHub.
Are there any specific materials that will hamper Wi-fi functioning, or the Pole/Pylon's functioning that we should avoid? Max height?
The materials that you can consider are galvanized stainless steel or aluminium. Do not worry, most materials will not hamper Wi-Fi functioning. The pole will hold the solar panel(s) and access point. The max pole dimensions: 3000mm (height) x 88mm (diameter) , and it should be of a practical height to ensure it can be accessed relatively easy, without compromising safety during checking or maintenance of the pole and the solar panel(s) and access point mounted on it.
Just a note for your consideration – access points can be housed inside the enclosure, whilst the antennas for the access points can be designed to be placed outside the enclosure.
Please view the briefing deck at the Google Drive folder for more specifications.
May I ask if the design needs to be movable (ie. include wheels, similar to existing designs)
No, the design does not need to be movable. The purpose is to make it aesthetically attractive whilst taking into consideration ergonomics, functionality, durability, and feasibility of production.
What is the service area coverage for each Wi-Fi unit?
Do not worry about this. Do focus on the design instead, to make it aesthetically attractive.
Are there any size specifications for the solar panels? Do we need to design them according to the size?
All specifications are available in the briefing deck that is on the Google Drive folder
Do we have to mount the structure, get all the materials etc before we submit or is the design alone on PDF fine?
Just the design alone on PDF is fine and you can refer to the briefing deck on Google Drive for more information!
Are we allowed to propose a different material for the enclosure (which may be more sustainable - in line with the whole theme of the design) or is the term "Proposed material to be used" merely asking us to choose one or the other (aluminium or steel)?
Stainless steel and Aluminium are usually used as these materials are proven to be able to operate well in the outdoor environment. Additionally, they’re also easier to source/fabricate by the factory.
That being said, you can propose other materials, but when proposing, you should consider the cost and ease of production, at scale. More importantly, they should operate in the outdoor environment well, should be easy to source and fabricate at scale and cost competitive. Your choice of materials should then be researched to meet the above requirements, and presented in your submission explanation.
Post Submission
When and how will the winners be notified?
Winners will be announced in April 2023 and will be notified by email through bitbit@nus.edu.sg.
For any enquiries not answered above, email us at bitbit@nus.edu.sg and we will reply and add them to the FAQ list here!
