Pioneering township developer Megaworld Corporation is ramping up its use of data science and technology innovations as it builds smart, future-ready township developments that embrace sustainability.
"We have been integrating data analytics and artificial intelligence in various aspects of our business, particularly as we continue to develop next-generation township developments where tech innovations make life a lot safer and more enjoyable for residents, locators, and visitors," says Francis Viernes, Chief Data Scientist and Lab Director of TAT Lab and head of Data Analytics, Megaworld.
Part of this initiative for Megaworld is the upcoming creation of its very own Township Analytics and Technology Lab (TAT Lab), the first-ever data science lab spearheaded by a property development company in Asia.
Rising soon within the 50-hectare McKinley Hill, the TAT Lab will be designed to develop, deploy, and improve machine learning models and artificial intelligence aimed at increasing the level of safety and security of Megaworld townships nationwide. Through the TAT Lab, Megaworld will be utilizing artificial intelligence to roll out innovative programs, which include an advanced accident detection system that can detect road accidents and trigger a faster, more efficient incident response.
"In many road incidents, the difference in response time between someone reporting a vehicular accident and an AI program detecting it, for example, may mean a matter of life and death. This AI-powered accident detection system will be one of the several programs that we will be rolling out in Megaworld townships soon to make our developments more responsive to the future needs of our communities," adds Viernes.
Another program that will be part of Megaworld's TAT Lab will be a Township-specific Weather Analytics and Monitoring capability. Currently, in its pilot testing phase in partnership with Komunidad, the leader in climate data analytics in Asia, the program aims to help make Megaworld townships more resilient by providing localized and more accurate climate information to help residents and locators plan their day-to-day activities more efficiently.
"Unlike other weather analysis providers, our township weather analytics will be able to send out advice to people within our townships about the specific time rain is going to pour, for example, in McKinley Hill, as opposed to just having a generic weather analysis for the entire Taguig City," adds Viernes.
Other programs that will be rolled out soon include township geographic assessment with real-time traffic information and age and gender sentiment detection capability that will provide an additional layer of security and protection for residential condominiums, offices, malls, hotels, and other major components of Megaworld townships.
The TAT Lab will soon be created alongside the Megaworld Command Center, a state-of-the-art surveillance facility that will be capable of monitoring and consolidating situation reports across all of Megaworld's townships nationwide.
"The Megaworld Command Center represents our commitment to promoting business continuity within our townships even amidst natural or man-made calamities. The proximity of the future TAT Lab to the soon-to-rise Megaworld Command Center will ensure that machine learning models deployed across our townships are working properly and generating the appropriate information for our data scientists that will help make our developments safer and more secure for everyone," shares Michael Angelo Dumlao, senior assistant vice president and head of Estate Management, Megaworld.
In the future, more data science and technology programs will be employed in various aspects across Megaworld townships, including risks, traffic, security, utilities, waste disposal, and sustainability.
Construction is underway for Megaworld's TAT Lab and the Command Center, and the company is looking to have both facilities operational by next year, 2023.
In 2018, Megaworld embarked on a groundbreaking campaign to future-proof its developments with the introduction of its iTownships initiative. The main goal of this program is to create townships of the future by integrating design, safety, smart technology, connectivity, energy efficiency, and talent development into the blueprint of Megaworld's township developments.
The projects implemented as part of iTownships include digitizing customer service and payment processes, integrating smart home technology in residential units, and utilizing digital technology and energy-efficient materials in structural designs. The program also included the creation of Township Operation Centers across all Megaworld developments, which maximizes 24/7 security and safety monitoring and emergency response in every township, as well as integrating urban art installations, creative pedestrian crosswalks, and smart parking system, including provision for electric vehicle charging in mall developments, among others.