Fair innovation

"Window shopping" is getting easier for technology innovations related to Singapore.

We have heard of fun fairs, science fairs, and computer fairs. But how often have you visited a technology innovation fair?

The TechInnovation conference and exhibition series and the (then) A*STAR TechFest exhibition series were free to visitors, and you did not need a PhD to enter.

Besides the typical potential applications to solve commercial, medical, educational, and environmental issues, there were innovations useful to future solutions for people with special needs, the elderly, and for encouraging the appreciation of culture. The creators suggested uses of their innovations, but creative minds will not limit their opportunities.

Other than witnessing the physical showcases at the fair, any interested individual or organization can also look or ask for intellectual property (IP), which may be useful to you at the online listing by IP Intermediary (IPI) Singapore.

For example, Intuitive Annotation for Reflective Video-based Learning with iDeLite is by Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Singapore. With this innovation, sales trainees in Singapore may potentially benefit from being coached in their behavior by international practitioners in another country, who can do so at their convenience using their own laptop.

It can take several years for research to be developed into practical applications. There were some cool technologies, not just products, developed by Team Singapore or in Singapore, such as gesture-sensing technology, which was shown to the public several years ago at FusionWorld, even as consumer home applications like gesture-controlled TV suitable for the elderly. Sadly, they remained relatively unknown.

It appears that research and development announced by internationally large commercial organizations tend to get far more excitement. Perhaps such organizations are better at marketing and public relations.