Game of Drones: NUS Trials Drone Delivery System in 2018
NUS attempts to give a flying f***.
Here at The Bullet, we toil each and every day to comb through the deep recesses of the Internet to deliver to you the freshest and most interesting campus news.
Well, not really. We just search ‘Singapore Campus’ in Bing and pray for something good to pop up. In case you could not be bothered to sieve through the Orientation Camp Scandal-related news, then you’re in luck, for we have something for you!
Also included: The customary stock image of the campus. Such lazy journalism.
According to the Yellow Pages (who has conveniently stolen The Bullet’s colour scheme, you’re welcome), Airbus Helicopters and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore have collaborated to launch ‘Skyways’, a drone delivery system. Singpost will be providing logistical support for this endeavour (because, who else?) The best part? They have selected the NUS Kent Ridge Campus for their trial process come 2018. No wonder people complain about the privilege that NUS students receive.
So it seems that SingPost is trying very, very hard to stay relevant in the Internet Age. And it has done well to pander to our Harry Potter fantasies (the drone being the surrogate owl, for all you non-HP-literate folk out there [what’s wrong with you]), although I doubt that I’ll accept any invitation to Hogwarts when graduation is in the horizon. The article does raise many interesting questions. For one, why choose NUS for the trial? Perhaps the project team was sold during Open Day when the university touted itself as having #thebestcampuslife. Or perhaps like their drones, the students have pre-determined routes due to parental pressure since birth to enter a university. We will probably never find out.
While it is nice that NUS will play a participatory role in the trial for this remarkable project, it remains to be seen how much us students can actually benefit from having drones. Come on, even the Psychology studies pay their volunteer lab rats ten dollars for attending their trials. There’s also the inevitable reaction from the school administration, who hovers around watchfully and swoops down at unexpected moments. Very much like a drone.
Spotted a few weeks ago on campus. What is NUS without its red tape?
When the trial takes off (not sorry for the pun), us students should capitalise on having the benefit of this cutting-edge technology at our fingertips. Par exemple, one can utilise this unique delivery system to hide extravagant purchases from your parents. Simply change the delivery address to Kent Ridge, and bid adieu to disparaging comments at home when your parents find out that you’ve spend $300 on blogshop clothes again.
Maybe, drones chope-ing seats at crowded eating establishments on campuses will become a thing of the future. Just try not to bump another elderly drone from behind when tussling for tables, we have enough of that in real life.
On the academic side, the drones can help you deliver your assignments on Week 13 so you can declare a premature end to your semester. Or, perhaps it can record lectures when your professors refuse the wonders of webcast so that you can hear him drone (again, not sorry) in person.
As 2018 approaches, drone delivery systems will no longer be a remote (geddit) possibility.
Know of any better ways to utilize these drones? Keen to see more futuristic technology incorporated on campus? Can’t stand my puns? Let us know your thoughts at thebulletcampus@gmail.com!
