New 'smart' letterboxes to start one-year public trial at two blocks in Clementi

[Ysc3]

here we go again ... after smart bin, we will have smart letter boxes !!

Singapore Post is trying out PostPal, a “smart letterbox”, at two blocks in Clementi

The one-year trial starts on Dec 18 at Block 202 Clementi Ave 6 

The smart letterbox system will alert residents whenever they receive mail 

Residents may collect their items by scanning a unique QR code at the letterbox

Residents at one housing block in Clementi will soon receive mail receipt notifications whenever mail has arrived in their letterboxes. They will also be able to check the exact number of mail items they have received.

These residents may then retrieve their mail by scanning a unique QR code dynamically generated by the Singapore Post (SingPost) mobile application and scan it at the letterbox.These innovations are part of the services that come with PostPal, a new “smart letterbox” that SingPost unveiled on Thursday (Dec 3) and will try out at Block 202 Clementi Ave 6 for a year from Dec 18.PostPal will also be installed at Block 205 some weeks later as part of the trial.These blocks were chosen because they are representative of the average mail profile of public housing in Singapore, SingPost said.

From Dec 11, its employees will conduct an outreach programme in the neighbourhood for a week, to help residents learn how to retrieve their mail from the new letterboxes.Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Vincent Phang, the head of postal services in Singapore at SingPost, said that the company hopes to roll out PostPal to a district in the northern part of Singapore in coming months.He added that PostPal is most suitable for high-rise, dense urban housing, which makes up over 80 per cent of housing in Singapore, he said.Another feature of PostPal is that the letterbox can be customised to suit the mail profile of particular housing blocks.For example, if a block sees consistently high deliveries from e-commerce merchants, SingPost can reconfigure the letterbox there with larger modules to hold bigger packages. It could also do so for particular periods, such as during the year-end online sales peak season. This QR code verification process eliminates the need to manually unlock and lock letterboxes using a key that can be lost or duplicated, and residents may also use the SingPost app to authorise trusted individuals to collect mail from PostPal on their behalf.

Each PostPal is equipped with an auto-sorting machine capable of accurately arranging and storing mail for individual residences, which SingPost said “greatly minimises misdeliveries due to human error while significantly relieving the postman’s daily burden”.Mr Phang was asked if PostPal will be integrated with the parcel locker network announced by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in July.“It’s early days, so this is just one prototype and one trial in a couple of blocks here, but in time to come, we hope that this is something we can explore. So we are in talks with IMDA on how we could collaborate in this space and to cooperate to make sure that (the collection of) both letters and parcels can be a seamless experience for our customers,” he said. IMDA has said that 1,000 locker stations will be deployed across the island by the end of next year.Mr Phang also said that postmen and other teams in SingPost’s processing and sortation function are in the process of improving their skills. One resident of Block 202, Mr Foo Ka Jong, 61, said that the smart letterboxes were the right way forward and that he can learn to get used to scanning a QR code to get his mail.

“It will be faster and at least we know how many letters we have inside,” Mr Foo, who is self-employed, said. He checks the letterbox once a week but often forgets to do so and by the time he does, his letterbox is full. Now, he will know when something has arrived and he can check it right away.His son, Mr Foo Hong Ming, 27, is also looking forward to the new system because he would no longer have to worry about remembering to take along his keys to open the mailbox.PostPal was co-developed by SingPost and robotics firm PBA Group (PBA Robotics). Pisces Technologies, a homegrown company specialising in systems automation, and a subsidiary of PBA Robotics, also worked closely with SingPost to develop and build the latest public trial prototype of PostPal.

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/new-smart-letterboxes-start-one-year-public-trial-two-blocks-clementi?cid=emarsys-today_TODAY's evening briefing for Dec 3, 2020 (ACTIVE)_newsletter_03122020_today

[kobayashiGT]

1 hour ago, Ysc3 said:

here we go again ... after smart bin, we will have smart letter boxes !!

Singapore Post is trying out PostPal, a “smart letterbox”, at two blocks in Clementi

The one-year trial starts on Dec 18 at Block 202 Clementi Ave 6 

The smart letterbox system will alert residents whenever they receive mail 

Residents may collect their items by scanning a unique QR code at the letterbox

Residents at one housing block in Clementi will soon receive mail receipt notifications whenever mail has arrived in their letterboxes. They will also be able to check the exact number of mail items they have received.

These residents may then retrieve their mail by scanning a unique QR code dynamically generated by the Singapore Post (SingPost) mobile application and scan it at the letterbox.These innovations are part of the services that come with PostPal, a new “smart letterbox” that SingPost unveiled on Thursday (Dec 3) and will try out at Block 202 Clementi Ave 6 for a year from Dec 18.PostPal will also be installed at Block 205 some weeks later as part of the trial.These blocks were chosen because they are representative of the average mail profile of public housing in Singapore, SingPost said.

From Dec 11, its employees will conduct an outreach programme in the neighbourhood for a week, to help residents learn how to retrieve their mail from the new letterboxes.Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Vincent Phang, the head of postal services in Singapore at SingPost, said that the company hopes to roll out PostPal to a district in the northern part of Singapore in coming months.He added that PostPal is most suitable for high-rise, dense urban housing, which makes up over 80 per cent of housing in Singapore, he said.Another feature of PostPal is that the letterbox can be customised to suit the mail profile of particular housing blocks.For example, if a block sees consistently high deliveries from e-commerce merchants, SingPost can reconfigure the letterbox there with larger modules to hold bigger packages. It could also do so for particular periods, such as during the year-end online sales peak season. This QR code verification process eliminates the need to manually unlock and lock letterboxes using a key that can be lost or duplicated, and residents may also use the SingPost app to authorise trusted individuals to collect mail from PostPal on their behalf.

Each PostPal is equipped with an auto-sorting machine capable of accurately arranging and storing mail for individual residences, which SingPost said “greatly minimises misdeliveries due to human error while significantly relieving the postman’s daily burden”.Mr Phang was asked if PostPal will be integrated with the parcel locker network announced by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in July.“It’s early days, so this is just one prototype and one trial in a couple of blocks here, but in time to come, we hope that this is something we can explore. So we are in talks with IMDA on how we could collaborate in this space and to cooperate to make sure that (the collection of) both letters and parcels can be a seamless experience for our customers,” he said. IMDA has said that 1,000 locker stations will be deployed across the island by the end of next year.Mr Phang also said that postmen and other teams in SingPost’s processing and sortation function are in the process of improving their skills. One resident of Block 202, Mr Foo Ka Jong, 61, said that the smart letterboxes were the right way forward and that he can learn to get used to scanning a QR code to get his mail.

“It will be faster and at least we know how many letters we have inside,” Mr Foo, who is self-employed, said. He checks the letterbox once a week but often forgets to do so and by the time he does, his letterbox is full. Now, he will know when something has arrived and he can check it right away.His son, Mr Foo Hong Ming, 27, is also looking forward to the new system because he would no longer have to worry about remembering to take along his keys to open the mailbox.PostPal was co-developed by SingPost and robotics firm PBA Group (PBA Robotics). Pisces Technologies, a homegrown company specialising in systems automation, and a subsidiary of PBA Robotics, also worked closely with SingPost to develop and build the latest public trial prototype of PostPal.

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/new-smart-letterboxes-start-one-year-public-trial-two-blocks-clementi?cid=emarsys-today_TODAY's evening briefing for Dec 3, 2020 (ACTIVE)_newsletter_03122020_today

Yes and no I think. They should try it out at Punggol I think. The usage will be higher and they can improve the bin size when they have collected enough data. 

 

I see the picture the pin size is not very big, Not all my parcel can be collected from there. hahah.

[Blueray]

if we do more projects like this GST 10% also not enough ... 

[Playtime]

1 hour ago, Ysc3 said:

here we go again ... after smart bin, we will have smart letter boxes !!

Singapore Post is trying out PostPal, a “smart letterbox”, at two blocks in Clementi

The one-year trial starts on Dec 18 at Block 202 Clementi Ave 6 

The smart letterbox system will alert residents whenever they receive mail 

Residents may collect their items by scanning a unique QR code at the letterbox

Residents at one housing block in Clementi will soon receive mail receipt notifications whenever mail has arrived in their letterboxes. They will also be able to check the exact number of mail items they have received.

These residents may then retrieve their mail by scanning a unique QR code dynamically generated by the Singapore Post (SingPost) mobile application and scan it at the letterbox.These innovations are part of the services that come with PostPal, a new “smart letterbox” that SingPost unveiled on Thursday (Dec 3) and will try out at Block 202 Clementi Ave 6 for a year from Dec 18.PostPal will also be installed at Block 205 some weeks later as part of the trial.These blocks were chosen because they are representative of the average mail profile of public housing in Singapore, SingPost said.

From Dec 11, its employees will conduct an outreach programme in the neighbourhood for a week, to help residents learn how to retrieve their mail from the new letterboxes.Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Vincent Phang, the head of postal services in Singapore at SingPost, said that the company hopes to roll out PostPal to a district in the northern part of Singapore in coming months.He added that PostPal is most suitable for high-rise, dense urban housing, which makes up over 80 per cent of housing in Singapore, he said.Another feature of PostPal is that the letterbox can be customised to suit the mail profile of particular housing blocks.For example, if a block sees consistently high deliveries from e-commerce merchants, SingPost can reconfigure the letterbox there with larger modules to hold bigger packages. It could also do so for particular periods, such as during the year-end online sales peak season. This QR code verification process eliminates the need to manually unlock and lock letterboxes using a key that can be lost or duplicated, and residents may also use the SingPost app to authorise trusted individuals to collect mail from PostPal on their behalf.

Each PostPal is equipped with an auto-sorting machine capable of accurately arranging and storing mail for individual residences, which SingPost said “greatly minimises misdeliveries due to human error while significantly relieving the postman’s daily burden”.Mr Phang was asked if PostPal will be integrated with the parcel locker network announced by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in July.“It’s early days, so this is just one prototype and one trial in a couple of blocks here, but in time to come, we hope that this is something we can explore. So we are in talks with IMDA on how we could collaborate in this space and to cooperate to make sure that (the collection of) both letters and parcels can be a seamless experience for our customers,” he said. IMDA has said that 1,000 locker stations will be deployed across the island by the end of next year.Mr Phang also said that postmen and other teams in SingPost’s processing and sortation function are in the process of improving their skills. One resident of Block 202, Mr Foo Ka Jong, 61, said that the smart letterboxes were the right way forward and that he can learn to get used to scanning a QR code to get his mail.

“It will be faster and at least we know how many letters we have inside,” Mr Foo, who is self-employed, said. He checks the letterbox once a week but often forgets to do so and by the time he does, his letterbox is full. Now, he will know when something has arrived and he can check it right away.His son, Mr Foo Hong Ming, 27, is also looking forward to the new system because he would no longer have to worry about remembering to take along his keys to open the mailbox.PostPal was co-developed by SingPost and robotics firm PBA Group (PBA Robotics). Pisces Technologies, a homegrown company specialising in systems automation, and a subsidiary of PBA Robotics, also worked closely with SingPost to develop and build the latest public trial prototype of PostPal.

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/new-smart-letterboxes-start-one-year-public-trial-two-blocks-clementi?cid=emarsys-today_TODAY's evening briefing for Dec 3, 2020 (ACTIVE)_newsletter_03122020_today

I tot they already invented email for this??

[Ysc3]

39 minutes ago, Blueray said:

if we do more projects like this GST 10% also not enough ... 

Never in my wildest dreams did it occur to me that checking the physical mailbox is such a heavy task. I guess I have been exercising very hard everyday when I walk from the car park to the lift and check the mailbox when I walk past. 

[Blueray]

8 minutes ago, Ysc3 said:

Never in my wildest dreams did it occur to me that checking the physical mailbox is such a heavy task. I guess I have been exercising very hard everyday when I walk from the car park to the lift and check the mailbox when I walk past. 

precisely, we all will pass by our mail box on our way home.

this thing will spoil and no spare parts after 1 - 2 years, just like the tray return system at hawker centres. 

[mersaylee]

This design only ideal to those staying landed to go to a central area to pick up their mails in their posh cars instead of troubling postman on either bicycle or motorbike for doorstep delivery. 

80% or more stay in flats where the mailboxes are below the block and expect this group to fund the 20% and yet make it more inconvenient to the latter group? 

"Nice"

[Carbon82]

What is so difficult with checking mailbox manually once a few days? And talking about being environmental friendly, aren't we going the reverse way to consume extra electricity by making everything "smart"??

What's next? A scanner in the mailbox to read the letter to the receiver, without the need for the receiver to step out of the house (in the name of preparing for the next pandemic?)

[Kopites]

What is the point.....? Still need the key to open the letter box?

Edited December 4, 2020 by Kopites

[Blueray]

7 minutes ago, mersaylee said:

This design only ideal to those staying landed to go to a central area to pick up their mails in their posh cars instead of troubling postman on either bicycle or motorbike for doorstep delivery. 

80% or more stay in flats where the mailboxes are below the block and expect this group to fund the 20% and yet make it more inconvenient to the latter group? 

"Nice"

we want to be "smart" nation mah .... 

but seriously, this project is epic fail to me. 

sounds like some WITS team initiative. 

maybe next thing is to dumb waiter the letters to households. 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Blueray

[Kopites]

The one I am gaming for them to implement is to seal up or do away with the flap flipping up for peeking inside.

Who is still doing that nowadays? 

Stop those advert pamphlet.

Save the earth.

Stop wasting paper on useless advert.

[RH1667]

next project maybe is have a " smart system" that notify car owner in open air carpark when there are bird shit on their car to clean it.

How about having a " rinsing system" at the entrance of each MSCP so that all cars entering it will be not too dirty?

[Jman888]

8 minutes ago, Carbon82 said:

 

What is so difficult with checking mailbox manually once a few days? And talking about being environmental friendly, aren't we going the reverse way to consume extra electricity by making everything "smart"??

What's next? A scanner in the mailbox to read the letter to the receiver, without the need for the receiver to step out of the house (in the name of preparing for the next pandemic?)

 

i think it target at online purchase, many seller use singpost or send by mail, my mail box will jam up with just 2-3 items. 

and some time overseas delivery use singpost as last leg and we won't know whether someone will knock at the door or inside mailbox. It is good if there is a notification to let me know it arrived.

[Spidey10]

speechless!! wasted $$ and resources and time.....resources could be put to better use to help the poor and needy.

[Blueray]

5 minutes ago, RH1667 said:

next project maybe is have a " smart system" that notify car owner in open air carpark when there are bird shit on their car to clean it.

How about having a " rinsing system" at the entrance of each MSCP so that all cars entering it will be not too dirty?

must have camera to take picture of the bird too ... 

so can summon the bird for littering. 

rinsing system will deduct $10 from cashcard per rinse. "beep". cost recovered. 

think some of these chaps are taking this smart nation thing a bit too far. 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Blueray

[Carbon82]

11 minutes ago, Jman888 said:

i think it target at online purchase, many seller use singpost or send by mail, my mail box will jam up with just 2-3 items. 

and some time overseas delivery use singpost as last leg and we won't know whether someone will knock at the door or inside mailbox. It is good if there is a notification to let me know it arrived.

Singpost already have these Pop Station, which is targeting at online purchase user, so why the need to reinvent the wheel (to have smart letter box)?

The way to go is left the traditional mailbox alone, but work on improving the existing Pop Station to have smaller compartment to house smaller items, and have more such station located within HDB estate (currently most are located nearer to mall area) - placement can be similar to AED where a cluster 5 0- 10 block share 1. 

[RH1667]

14 minutes ago, Blueray said:

must have camera to take picture of the bird too ... 

so can summon the bird for littering. 

rinsing system will deduct $10 from cashcard per rinse. "beep". cost recovered. 

think some of these chaps are taking this smart nation thing a bit too far. 

They should focus on strengthening the security of our medical, banking and Civil Service IT first. 

[Kb27]

they keep losing letters and parcels. they can't fix their basic problem.

then they waste money trying to be "smart"