DRIVER.PH aims to improve the skills of Philippine truckers through the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics. A project of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.), it recently gained Department of Science and Technology (DOST) funding. The partnership was formally inked in a virtual MOA signing last February 23, 2021, with Quicktrans Cargo Moving, Inc. serving as DRIVER.PH’s first technology adopter.
The DRIVER.PH or Drivers Roadworthiness Improvement Verification Education and Readiness for the Philippine Logistics Industry project is an end-to-end solution that utilizes software and hardware solutions tied together through IoT, AI, and data analytics.
“Supporting research and development is always on DOST’s agenda because these make positive changes happen. We are driven to foster collaborations between private companies where we can accelerate tech production and materialization. After all, it is only when research becomes useful and tangible that we consider R&D to be completed,” stated DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara.
DOST PCIEERD executive director Dr. Enrico Paringit added, “We see a huge potential in this endeavor, and we want to see it to fruition. Because what you can do with a truck, you can do for other transportation networks. The potential coming out of this project is limitless. We’re hopeful that this will be successful and become very much relevant.”
According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) 2019 Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS) Annual Report, 18,667 trucks were involved in road accidents in the region. With trucks being the primary means for land-based logistics in the country, freight companies need their truckers to be safer and more efficient on the road.
“In my 40 years of experience, we’ve always had the dream of having world-class truck drivers. This is a step towards the realization of that dream. DRIVER.PH aims to professionalize the trucking sector by professionalizing and improving the skills of our truck drivers. Through this, we can more reliably transport goods and necessities to every Filipino,” said Quicktrans CEO Teddy Gervacio on the project.
Specifically, DRIVER.PH gamifies the driving experience both on and off the road. On the road, trucks will be equipped with IoT devices that monitor and record a driver’s road habits and technical skills, including information related to location, turning, speed, acceleration, braking, and stopping. These data are then sent to the cloud for data analysis powered by artificial intelligence. Off the road, DRIVER.PH also provides driver education modules and interactive lessons to further refine driver skills and vehicle roadworthiness knowledge. Likewise, the data gathered in these sessions are analyzed through AI. DRIVER.PH will then recommend areas for improvement, with results continuously refined with every trip and lesson the driver takes.
The result is a scientific and objective evaluation of a truck driver’s road competence, which the three organizations agree will lead to safer and more efficient trucking.
“T.I.P. provides relevant technological education that encourages students to apply their competencies, mindsets, and values in science and technology to serve the needs of industry or to pursue technopreneurship to solve societal problems. The DRIVER.PH project is one such excellent experiential opportunity for both T.I.P. faculty members and students,” concluded T.I.P. president Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz about the opportunity.
DRIVER.PH is T.I.P.’s second project conducted through the DOST Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) program under its Science for Change Program (S4CP). Monitored by the DOST – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), it is also the 9th project granted to T.I.P. through the DOST Grants-In-Aid research fund since 2014.
T.I.P. is facilitating this project through T.I.P. TechnoCoRe, its institutional thrust towards Industry-Academe Collaborative Applied Research. This thrust empowers T.I.P. researchers, faculty members, and students to participate in various nation-building efforts with the full support of the school.
For more information on T.I.P. and T.I.P. TechnoCoRe, please visit T.I.P.’s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You may also visit technocore.tip.edu.ph or email [email protected].