NUS-ISS Digital Futurist Challenge: A Glimpse into the First Prize Winners Projects

The NUS-ISS Digital Futurist Challenge that kicked off in July 2022, rallied youths from local institutes of higher learning to envision a future desired scenario of Singapore in 2060, and design creative, digital-focused solutions to propel Singapore towards this envisioned state. In total, 242 students formed 59 teams which came up with solutions across three imperatives: Green & Sustainability, Health & Well-being, and Work & Learning. The Challenge culminated on 29 October, where 15 shortlisted teams pitched their projects to an esteemed panel of judges and here are the three first prize winning teams project.

Theme: Green & Sustainability

Team Name: BrotherNature
Members: Chow Yean Li, Denzel Lim, Hubert Loi, Low Zi Hao and Tay Ting Hui
Institutes of Higher Learning: Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University


From L to R: Chow Yean Li, Low Zi Hao, Hubert Loi, President Halimah Yacob, Janet Ang, Tay Ting Hui and Denzel Lim

With climate change being an existential threat to Singapore, having a long-term solution or strategy to address environmental threats and land scarcity is key to realising a resilient future for the citizens. Team BrotherNature envisions that in 2060, Singapore would have completed its fourth – and last – man-made mountain that will revolutionise living spaces and travel, eradicating the issue of submerged buildings and railway lines. This is alongside three other mountains: Mount North, South, and East, built in 2034, 2045, and 2054 respectively.

Known as Singapore’s Elevate Populate Accelerate (SEPA), the project aims to create the world’s first elevated city that rises above the impacts of climate change. The groundbreaking innovation consists of four man-made mountains each measuring 500m high, with a scale large enough to fit almost four times Singapore's population. The SEPA project is also expected to generate 50,000 jobs and contribute US$100 billion to Singapore’s GDP by 2070.

Theme: Health & Well-being

Team Name: B10 for Future SG (BFFs)
Members: Chin Ngiok Yong, Xylon Lee, Cuithbert Lim and Balaji Srinivasan
Institute of Higher Learning: Nanyang Technological University


From L to R: Xylon Lee, Cuithbert Lim, President Halimah Yacob, Chin Ngiok Yong, Janet Ang and Balaji Srinivasan

Smart homes enabled by the Internet-of-Things (IoT) is a robust trend we see today. Team B10 for Future SG envisions a future in which Housing Development Board (HDB) flats are equipped with IoT solutions that support better health and well-being for residents. Smart Activation for Elders at Home (SAFE@Home) Singapore’s first step towards large-scale public adoption of IoT that at the same time addresses the need to support the nation’s ageing population. Via this programme, the homes of seniors are retrofitted with fall monitoring devices to detect emergencies early, and smart fridges to help them to eat healthier.

The Smart Monitoring & Omniscient Response Technology Home (SMORT Home) equips new BTO flats with more advanced IoT-enabled features. These include devices that optimise the home environment to facilitate mental well-being and better sleep, robot vacuum (ROBOCLEAN) that cleans the floor, purifies the air, and sanitises areas through the use of UV light, as well as an Automated Toilet Testing (ATT) toilet bowl that monitors hydration level and carry out wastewater testing, enabled by micro-lab technology to identify potential health risks.

Theme: Work & Learning

Team Name: Flow
Members: Benoit Chia, Chua Ming Rong, Phang Hua Jian, Isabelle Sim, and Tang Yook Loong
Institute of Higher Learning: Singapore Polytechnic
In the world today, work and learning have evolved beyond skills and academia. Team Flow combines mentorship and emerging technologies such as augmented reality to address mismatched skill sets in the workplace, as well as help individuals make better-informed choices for their education and career.


From L to R: Tang Yook Loong, Isabelle Sim, Benoit Chia, President Halimah Yacob, Janet Ang, Chua Ming Rong and Phang Hua Jian

Their proposed solution includes inculcating mentorship into the curriculum and creating a pedagogy that allows one to explore career and education choices in more dynamic, robust ways. They believe that practical, hands-on experience is an important aspect of mentorship that is often neglected. Therefore, in their proposed solution, they leveraged technology in the realm of the metaverse to enable such practical experiences and help individuals explore their career and education options in immersive ways that can aid their decision-making. They also seek to create a more inclusive society by ensuring that the disenfranchised communities – such as differently-abled people, students in boys/girls’ homes, or ex-convicts – get the opportunity and access to the solution as well.

The first prize winners of each of the three themes of the challenge, got to showcase their projects and received their prizes from President Halimah Yacob at NUS-ISS' 40th Anniversary gala dinner. Their outstanding and creative digital-focused solutions had demonstrated innovative and critical thinking, addressing challenges that were pressing to the modern world and for Singapore’s future era. The three first-prize teams each received $5,000 cash, and six runner-up teams each received $2,500 cash. All finalists received a complimentary enrolment to NUS-ISS’ Digitalisation Passport Programme, worth up to $7,500 for each team. This Blended Learning programme enables them to develop essential digital capabilities in data, digital agility and digital innovation, helping them pursue digital excellence.

Watch the Digitial Futurist Challenge Pitch Day Highlights here.