‘Intelligent’ trikes, anyone?

Smart e-trikes are equipped with features to communicate location, number of passengers, and advise the driver of the nearest charging stations.

How cool would it be if tricycles not only ran on pure electricity, but could also communicate their location, number of passengers, and advise their drivers of the nearest charging stations and other pertinent trip info? And what’s way cooler would be that these “intelligent” e-trikes may only just be the beginning of an entire “smart” city.

On June 28 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati, such e-trikes became reality when the Department of Energy (DOE) turned over 20 e-trikes equipped with such features to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The turnover was held during the 9th anniversary celebration of DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).

The smart e-trikes represented just one of the many projects revealed in the event–a convergence of the different fields of the country’s scientific and technology community.

Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director, said that his team commemorated this occasion by introducing the science agency’s innovative programs, projects, and activities. Guided by the anniversary theme “Smart Governance: The Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation,” his group “would put to light the importance of innovation for good governance.”

The motor, batteries and controllers are from Japan, but the e-trikes were made in the Philippines by Bemac Electric Transportation Philippines Inc.

The e-trikes will be part of the IntElecT or Intelligent Electric Transportation Network Program, which envisions a smart network of energy-aware electric vehicles (EVs) and charging stations. The program seeks to create an optimized energy management system that could be achieved through a coordinated schedule of vehicles, routes taken, when and where to charge, and charging time.

Mark Ivan Roblas, DOST-PCIEERD Head of Information Group, told this writer that the University of the Philippines-Diliman would be researching the optimization of the energy management system under the IntElecT program. He said that the university would collect the data and come up with an intelligent transport system (ITS) data center and a working model for the e-trikes’ ITS data center for deployment to trike fleet operators.

The IntElecT team, headed by Program Leader Dr. Lew Andrew Tria (associate professor), Project Leader Wilbert Jethro Limjoco (assistant professor) and composed of more than 10 young scientists and information technology experts from UP Diliman, will create the intelligent features of the e-trikes.

Roblas added that the total estimated cost for the 20 e-trikes has been P9.6 million, which includes the 5-year warranty on motor, lithium ion battery, controller, and the cost of training the drivers and technicians.

“The motor, batteries and controllers are (of) Japanese technology, but the e-trikes were made in the Philippines by Bemac Electric Transportation Philippines Inc,” disclosed Roblas.

In his welcome remarks, Paringit said, “A ‘smart city’ is the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in managing the city’s resources like transportation system, water levels, energy, and human capital. ICTs can be used for 24-hour monitoring, real-time information-sharing and field data analysis, ubiquitous controlling, and prompt feedback and improvement. These mechanisms ensure increased efficiency, productivity, and transparency in governing the city’s resources.”

DOST Secretary Fortunato T. De La Pena said in his speech that “the never-ending issue on traffic management in cities can now be addressed with a software called Catch-All which records all traffic violations committed and profiles cars and plate numbers through artificial intelligence (AI).”

The IntElecT team headed by Program Leader Dr. Lew Andrew Tria, Project Leader Wilbert Jethro Limjoco, and young scientists and IT experts from UP Diliman.

De la Pena added: “When it comes to disaster mitigation, we have a helpdesk called Datos or the Data Science and Remote Sensing Help Desk that aids in disaster response by mapping out affected areas using satellite images. These are some of what DOST has been laboring for in hope of improving the lives of every Filipino by providing better quality services through the power of science.

“Our neighboring countries like Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia are already actively developing their countries by transforming their cities into smart cities through establishing smart homes, cars, traffic, lifestyle, green energy and green products. This smart city (SC) concept emerged a few years ago as a combination of ‘ideas about how ICT might improve the functioning of cities,’” he said.

For a total estimated cost of P9.6 million, the 20 e-trikes come with a 5-year warranty on motor, lithium ion battery, and controller.

Engineer Raul C. Sabularse, DOST-PCIEERD Deputy Executive Director, said that on June 13, the science agency conducted “the first leg of its anniversary celebration in Iloilo City, a rising smart city.”

“Over the past nine years, PCIEERD paved the way for innovation to propagate through the technologies and initiatives we have supported—which, of course, would not be possible without our remarkable partner agencies, companies, universities, and institutions. These are the great minds that move science and technology forward to a remarkable extent here in the Philippines,” said Sabularse.

‘Intelligent’ e-trikes may signal the rise of the ‘smart’ city in the Philippines.