[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – Residents of Block 202 Clementi Avenue 6 will soon be able to receive notifications on their mobile phones when mail arrives, eliminating the need to periodically check their mailbox.
In fact, for the next year, they won’t need to check the mailbox at all, as the mail will be collected from a central vending machine style unit at the foot of the block.
They will be the first in Singapore to test a smart mailbox system that SingPost anticipates will one day replace traditional units.
Each machine, called a PostPal, will store the mail for an entire apartment block, with items automatically sorted into storage spaces.
Instead of using a key to unlock their designated drop box, residents will scan a QR code generated by the SingPost app to retrieve their items from the machine.
With the app, residents can also be notified of mail delivery, check the number of items pending pickup, and authorize others to collect mail on their behalf.
PostPal features significant enhancements that will reduce incorrect deliveries and ease the burden on the postman, SingPost said on Thursday (December 3) when announcing a one-year public trial.
PostPal has an automatic sorting feature, which means that postmen will only need to load all mail into the machine without sorting them individually.
Mail addressed to households that are part of the test will be attached with a data matrix code, similar to a QR code, which PostPal will scan for classification and notification.
The test will begin with two blocks of the Housing Board in Clementi; Residents of Block 202 Clementi Avenue 6 will begin using the system on December 18, while those of Block 205 will follow in the coming weeks.
The two blocks, which serve about 100 households each, were chosen because they are representative of the average mail profile of public housing in Singapore, SingPost said.
PostPal is a newer iteration of the smart mailbox prototype introduced by SingPost last year. It was developed in collaboration with PBA Group, a Singapore-based robotics and automation firm.
The storage modules in PostPal units can be customized for each individual block’s mail profile, SingPost said.
A block that sees consistently high e-commerce volumes, for example, may have smaller modules in its PostPal replaced by larger ones that can accommodate larger postal packages, he said. This setup can also be done during the year-end online sales peak season, he added.
SingPost declined to disclose the cost of the pilot.
The postal service provider has said that traditional mailbox units are not equipped to meet the growing demands of e-commerce, especially since smaller items are often sent by post rather than courier services, which can be more expensive. .
Vincent Phang, SingPost Singapore Director and Executive Director of Postal Services, told The Straits Times in an interview in September that the accelerated growth of e-commerce brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has made the need to renovate postal infrastructure a more urgent.
It is an opportune time to test the smart mailbox system as the demand for contactless delivery and the convenience of Singaporeans with QR code scanning has increased, he noted then.
Phang told the media at the PostPal presentation on Thursday that the system will provide additional security as only postmen will have access to the machine’s mail deposit, and each machine will be equipped with a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera. ).
SingPost will be able to monitor the utilization rate of each machine, he said, adding that the probability of a drive reaching capacity is minimal. PostPals will also have backup power to survive outages.
When asked about accessibility for the less tech-savvy, he said that those without smartphones can use a one-time password sent via SMS to retrieve their mail.
SingPost and grassroots volunteers will be engaging residents in the run-up to PostPal’s launch, Phang said, adding that public buy-in will be key to the system’s success.
“We recognize that there may be some apprehension for some people at first, but we will work on those issues.”
The PostPal trial has the potential to transform Housing Board’s blocky mailbox infrastructure from a “simple letter-oriented key-lock structure to a state-of-the-art digital system with capabilities beyond mail delivery,” Phang said.
It will also significantly ease SingPost’s work constraints, he added.
Mr. Amrin Amin, Chief Strategy Officer at PBA Robotics, described PostPal as a “potential game changer.”
“We are hopeful to see how we can scale this up in Singapore and how these ideas can be used not only in the residential setting, but in commercial settings and elsewhere,” he said.
PostPal’s public trial will progressively be extended to more districts, including one in the north, subject to the performance of the units in Clementi, as well as approval by authorities, SingPost said.
The data and feedback collected during the test will be used to fine-tune the smart mailbox system, as well as inform the next phase of SingPost’s transformation plans, he added.
Foo Kia Jong, a resident of Block 202, said he is looking forward to the notification features and flexible storage space that PostPal offers. His mailbox, which he checks once a week, is often full of online shopping orders from his children, the 61-year-old said.
“We don’t know (if there will be) any problems ahead, but we must have the courage to try new things,” said Foo, who is self-employed.
To familiarize residents with using PostPal, SingPost staff will be stationed on the empty platform of Block 202 Clementi Avenue 6 from noon to 8 pm Monday through Friday and from 9 am to 9 pm on weekends through starting December 11.
Residents can call 6845-6222 or email [email protected] with PostPal-related questions and comments.
[ad_2]
