Robots at Singapore’s AI zone to clean, patrol and deliver goods

As robots become more advanced to carry out complex tasks, they are set to be at the forefront of the next phase of Singapore’s goal to become a world-class artificial intelligence hub. The city state hopes to position itself as a hub for “physical AI” – robots and autonomous systems that can clean buildings, deliver goods, patrol public spaces and eventually work in factories, hospitals and homes. Singapore’s stable regulatory environment, strong digital infrastructure and experience deploying robots could give it an edge in developing and testing such systems in real-world environments, according to analysts. In recent years, global tech giants have looked to Singapore as the forefront of the AI revolution in the region. Singapore announced at the ATxSummit on Wednesday that Nvidia would launch its first research lab in the republic, its second in the Asia-Pacific region. During his speech at the conference, Nvidia chief scientist William Dally said the lab would focus on enabling robots to handle more challenging tasks, such as assembling a car. “To make robots really useful, they have to be able to interact with their environment and humans in ways that haven’t been seen and predicted,” Dally said, noting that robots were traditionally programmed to perform precise tasks such as spot welding. Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), industrial infrastructure agency JTC and the Singapore Institute of Technology will also launch a robotics test bed at Punggol Digital District, where AI-powered robots will be deployed for tasks such as cleaning, delivery and security patrols. The robots are meant to complement human workers beyond office hours, patrolling hard-to-reach spaces and carrying out more frequent cleaning, according to IMDA and JTC. Robotic firms, such China-based Unitree and Slamtec, as well as software companies, such as the US-headquartered Field AI, will work together with Singapore to develop and test robots in the digital district. FieldAI’s president Shayegan Omidshafiei described the project as a “gold standard” for simulating a future landscape where humans and robots coexist. “We want to enhance the level and agency of humans, not to substitute human agency,” he said. “I think that’s why this initiative is a really great example of thought leadership that is happening in Singapore today.” Fronting physical AI With its reputation as a trusted AI hub and its experience deploying robots, Singapore is well-positioned to become a leader in physical AI, according to analysts. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said at the summit that the city state “could be a living lab for the world” given its global connectivity and high robot adoption rate. Singapore ranked second globally for robot density in the manufacturing industry, with 818 robots installed per 10,000 employees, according to a 2025 report by the International Federation of Robotics. The city state already had clear use cases for robots in sectors such as healthcare, aviation, maritime and construction, said Harold Soh, associate professor of computer science at the National University of Singapore. “Singapore is already a trusted international hub, with strong institutions, concentrated technical talent, and experience deploying technology in complex urban environments,” he said. Mohan Rajesh Elara, a professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, said Singapore’s ageing population and manpower constraints would also create robust demand for the AI-enabled autonomous robots. The city state’s stable regulatory ecosystem and digital connectivity made it an “ideal real-world living laboratory” for physical AI technologies, he added. Mohan said these systems required extremely large volumes of real-world operational data. “Singapore’s ability to provide safe, regulated, and collaborative urban test beds will be a major competitive advantage globally.” Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said that while Singapore was unlikely to be at the forefront of building AI models, it could be a global leader in the development and deployment of AI solutions. Our AI strategy must be grounded in real use cases Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong “Our AI strategy must be grounded in real use cases, especially in advanced manufacturing, finance, healthcare, logistics and connectivity, where Singapore already has strengths,” Gan said. According to Yang Jianfei, who heads the Multimodal embodied AI and Robotic Systems Lab at Nanyang Technological University, the government’s pragmatic approach was a key reason why Singapore had a strong opportunity to become a global leader in the physical AI space. “Singapore is not attempting to outcompete the US in foundation AI models, China in large-scale manufacturing and robotics supply chains, and is instead leveraging these global advances,” he said. Collaborations with local and international industry partners, researchers and operators would allow Singapore to quickly identify practical problems and solve them with robotics at a faster speed than other larger ecosystems, he said. Safe adoption crucial Dally said Nvidia’s robots had been showing marked progress in performance. “We’re able to carry out increasingly complex tasks with better accuracy, higher success rates, and I think we’re very close to seeing this across the line and start having a lot of real-world impact,” said Dally to a room of tech industry players and policymakers at the summit. Singapore would likely deploy robots in other industries such as logistics and security soon, analysts said, urging safe adoption of the technology. Yang said manufacturing and industrial sectors were likely to be at the forefront of integrating physical AI technologies due to labour shortage and rising operational costs. Workflows in these sectors were also structured and defined, he added. “I think we could realistically see much stronger deployment within the next two to three years,” he said. But a longer timeline would be required for human-facing sectors such as healthcare, where the safety of patients and the elderly was paramount, said Yang, who estimated that broad adoption would take more than five years. Mohan said policymakers had to ensure safe adoption of robots by taking into account physical safety, cybersecurity and privacy. “The cities and buildings today were primarily designed for humans, not robots. We need to move towards ‘robot-ready environments’ in which robots can safely interact with lifts, doors, charging systems, communication networks, and broader urban infrastructure,” he added. Robots should also be viewed as tools to complement humans and not replacements in the workplace. “The focus should be on improving productivity, safety and quality of life, while enabling workers to transition into higher-value roles,” Mohan said.

Robots at Singapore’s AI zone to clean, patrol and deliver goods

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}These machines are set to complement humans in the workplace, but safety should be a priority for their deployment, analysts say

These machines are set to complement humans in the workplace, but safety should be a priority for their deployment, analysts say