Assignment 2 - Summary on Smart Parking Systems (Draft 1)

 In the article “IoT based Smart Parking for Smart Cities”, the webpage discusses the need for an “automated smart parking management system” that will effectively reduce the time spent to find a parking space. Smart parking uses sensors to detect vacant parking spaces, which will then be pushed to the cloud to provide ease of accessibility to the users. The data collected could provide insight into the “correlations and movements of users”. The webpage also mentions that the implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT) gateway will allow data to be “analysed and managed from a remote control center in real-time”, increasing efficiency and granting admins ample time to rectify faults promptly. The challenge, however, is for IoT solutions to “make it easy to transfer data to the cloud and with no need to discard established assets” by utilising minimal resources and increasing ROI of the parking systems”. 

According to Mangiaracina, Perego, Tumino, Miragliotta and Salvadoria (2017), it is estimated that in Europe, vehicles cruising for a parking space accounts for 30% of the daily traffic congestion in the downtown area. While the article focuses primarily in populated urban areas with existing infrastructure we often take for granted, the suggestions provides a good basis to research for a more efficient solution.

References

IoT based Smart Parking Systems for Smart Cities(N.d.). Retrieved 24 September, 2020, from https://www.hiotron.com/smart-parking/

Assignment 1 - Formal Letter (Descriptive Reflection)

Dear Professor Brad,

I am Herman Ong, a student from your effective communication class. The purpose of writing is to formally introduce myself. I graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a diploma in integrated facility management and hence decided to pursue a degree in the related field at Singapore Institute of Technology as I developed an interest in building designs and structures during my polytechnic internship at Westin Hotel & Resorts. 

Internship gave me an exposure to work life and the opportunity for cross-platform learning where I was able to apply various analytical concepts and understand the systems in their facilities. From my internship experience, I learned that being socially adept is one of my strong qualities as I can easily blend into new environments and find comfort speaking freely in groups.

However, I do not find the same comfort when addressing large audiences. My confidence level tends to dwindle, which leads me to stutter or lose my train of thoughts. My weakness also lies in expressing ideas into words and thus having to spend long periods validating my work. The use of flashcards usually aids me in keeping my thoughts in check, though I hope to eventually get rid of this dependency.

The goals that I have set for this module are to develop my communication skills and to become more confident in public speaking. As you have mentioned, the English language is a medium that is understood universally and is key for engineers to interact globally. By refining my public speaking skills, I will be able to portray myself confidently and express my ideas fluently. 

What sets me apart from others is my desire to perform tasks to my utmost ability. I tend to attract like-minded people to achieve a certain outcome, and it feels invigorating. I look forward to learning more about effective communication under your guidance.

“If you’re afraid to fail, you’re probably going to fail.” – Kobe Bryant

Sincerely yours,

Herman 

I have reviewed my group's posts and given comments for Jin Han and Raymond.

The Importance of communication skills for engineers

“I contend that we (engineers) are undervalued because of our widespread inability to explain what we do to the general public (and why it is so important). It is one of the hardest goals to accomplish, to be able to boil down difficult concepts into a short and easily understood presentation or elevator pitch.” 

Marybeth Miceli, President, Miceli Infrastructure Consulting, USA (2011)

Engineers lack the ability to communicate difficult concepts and technical jargons into simplified and interactive presentations, which creates a void in understanding between them and the general public.