SINGAPORE - In its effort to weed out illegally modified cars, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) plans to use a new remote-controlled undercarriage camera device it developed with Temasek Polytechnic (TP) from May end.
The remote-controlled device is equipped with a movable camera and a light, letting officers check the undercarriage of vehicles through a live video feed, instead of having to lie on the ground.
The device can rotate 360 degrees while the camera can move up and down, allowing officers to check for changes such as the removal of the catalytic converter or muffler box, and signs of possible modifications like welding marks.
Four of the devices, which weigh 1.5kg each, will be deployed by the end of May, and the polytechnic will deliver another 10 by the end of 2023. LTA said it would request more devices if needed.
LTA’s senior manager for vehicle enforcement Stephen Tan said on Wednesday at an event to showcase the new device that its use would reduce search times “significantly”. The device costs less than $2,500 each, including operation and maintenance costs.
The device was designed and built by 21-year-old Muhammad Haziq Roslan, a recent graduate from the polytechnic’s Diploma in Mechatronics programme, with guidance from senior lecturer of engineering Peter Lim.
Mr Haziq, who has secured a place in the Singapore University of Technology and Design’s Engineering Product Development programme, said it took him six months to build the device, which can be used for two hours and takes an hour to charge.
The small size of the device, which measures 18cm by 19cm and has a height of 9cm, allows it to be used for cars with undercarriages close to the ground.
TP said it will fix any issues with the first four devices before releasing the remaining 10, and it will also help LTA maintain the gizmo and train its officers on its use.
LTA said that from 2018 to 2022, it found around 3,600 illegal modifications on cars, 2,200 on commercial vehicles and 2,000 involving motorcycles. The fine for first-time offenders who illegally modify the exhaust was raised from $500 to $1,000, from July 2021. More serious offences such as modifications to heavy commercial vehicles can lead to offenders being taken to court.
LTA said tampering with exhaust systems in a vehicle may affect a vehicle’s reliability and increase the safety risks to drivers and other road users. Such modifications may also impact the vehicle’s noise and exhaust emissions.
