Connected sensors are monitoring rodent activity at selected estates in Singapore under a partnership between integrated estate and facilities management company EM Services and digital infrastructure provider SPTel.
The first project under the partnership uses RATSENSE, an infrared sensor-based monitoring system developed by Singapore technology company Cre8tec. It records rodent movement, entry and exit points, areas of infestation, and activity times, helping pest-control teams decide where to place traps or take other measures.
Cre8tec provided technical support for the deployment. The companies have not identified the participating estates, disclosed the number of sensors installed, or released performance data from the system.
Sensors support earlier intervention
EM Services and SPTel said connected monitoring could help estate teams detect issues sooner, improve response and resolution times, and make better use of manpower and other resources.
EM Services chief executive Jen Tan said the project combines the company’s estate-management expertise with SPTel’s digital connectivity. She said the partners would examine how technology could help teams respond faster and deploy resources more effectively.
SPTel chief executive Ernest Lee said the company’s infrastructure includes an IoT-as-a-Service platform, a LoRaWAN-enabled sensor network, edge cloud capabilities, and resilient connectivity. He said these capabilities could support the deployment and expansion of smart-township systems.
Singapore expands technology-led rodent surveillance
The estate deployment follows wider adoption of technology for rodent surveillance in Singapore.
The National Environment Agency uses sensors, infrared cameras, thermal cameras, and borescopes to detect and monitor rodent activity. In 2024, it trialled thermal cameras in the back lanes of Buffalo Road and Telok Ayer Street. The cameras recorded rodent activity and movement routes, allowing officers to assess where and when the animals were active and direct control measures accordingly.
The agency subsequently added thermal cameras to its surveillance technologies. It also reported that more than 1,000 enforcement actions were taken over rat-related lapses in 2024, compared with 670 in 2023. Nearly half concerned poor refuse management.
Partnership could cover other estate systems
Beyond rodent monitoring, EM Services and SPTel plan to examine applications involving utilities monitoring, environmental monitoring, and other estate-management functions.
EM Services also intends to work with industry partners, innovators, and Institutes of Higher Learning to identify and test technologies that could later be used more widely in estate operations.
The companies formalised their partnership through a memorandum of understanding signed on 06 August at the 29th SME Infocomm Commerce Conference. Organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the event is held at Suntec Singapore from 05 to 06 August.
