SINGAPORE – Passengers can experience showcases on a 360-degree screen and plan their journeys with an AI virtual assistant at Punggol Coast MRT station.
Public transport operator SBS Transit (SBST) launched a digital village there on Nov 23 to give commuters and residents opportunities to be inspired by technology.
This is the second in SBST’s series of thematic villages, which aims to transform transport nodes into community hubs.
At the station’s amphitheatre is a 360-degree LED display, known as the Spectacular Screen, which can showcase 3D visuals.
The 6m-wide, 2.5m-high elliptical screen, which is the first of its kind in a public transport hub, can be used to support community events such as movie screenings, digital showcases and performances.
Commuters will also encounter a robot MR-2, which resembles Star Wars’ robot character R2-D2 and roams around independently to patrol and clean the station.
The robot made its entrance at the launch event with members of Singapore Star Wars costumed fan groups dressed as iconic characters such as Stormtroopers and Darth Vader.
Instead of queueing at the Passenger Service Counter, commuters can chat with an electronic kiosk known as AIVA, or an AI Virtual Assistant, for their transport-related queries.
Presented as a female avatar on screen wearing a SBST uniform, AIVA can tell commuters the quickest travel route, the station’s nearest exits and toilets, and answer questions about ticketing.
AIVA, which was created by SBST and Hong Kong-based AI firm Pantheon Lab, has been serving commuters at Punggol Coast MRT station and Ang Mo Kio bus interchange since late 2024.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also an MP for Punggol GRC, officially opened the digital village, along with fellow Punggol GRC MP Yeo Wan Ling.
Mr Jeffrey Sim, group chief executive of SBST, said the digital theme was chosen as the station is at the doorstep of
JTC’s Punggol Digital District
, a hub for emerging technology sectors like AI and robotics.
Mr Sim said SBST is collaborating with JTC through the LaunchPad Investor Network to access start-ups working on transport solutions, which can enhance the commuter experience.
He added that students and educators from the Singapore Institute of Technology, which is also at Punggol Coast, will have opportunities to work on real transport challenges and bring their ideas here.
DPM Gan Kim Yong (left) and Mr Jeffrey Sim, group chief executive of SBST, leaving after the official opening of the Punggol Digital Village on Nov 23.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
“In many ways, this digital village is becoming a living lab where real transport challenges can be solved,” said Mr Sim.
In September, SBST
launched a 15,000 sq ft wellness village
at the Downtown Line Tampines MRT station.
It offers fitness classes, health talks and wellness workshops, and is equipped with full-length wall mirrors for members of the public to use during dance, pilates and yoga sessions.
The operator will launch two more such villages across its MRT network over the coming year.