IMDA to co-fund deployment of robots by 500 firms over next 3 years
The authority’s support will focus on improving integration and interoperability
[SINGAPORE] Five hundred local enterprises will receive support from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in their deployment of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) over the next three years.
IMDA announced the Autonomous Mobile Robots x Digital Leaders (AMR x DL) initiative on Thursday (Nov 20) at its innovation hub in one-north.
The move seeks to encourage companies to move beyond isolated pilot projects, and focus on improving the interoperability and integration of robots.
The AMRs will be used for internal logistics, inspection of public housing corridors and surveillance, among other functions.
IMDA will co-fund 50 per cent of the implementation. This relates to the “co-development of the integration and interoperability modules that (are) required for the robots to be deployed”, said Johnson Poh, assistant chief executive of the enterprise transformation and innovation group at IMDA.
IMDA said that given Singapore’s “dense, multi-storey environment”, AMRs must “integrate and interoperate seamlessly with lifts, doors, building systems and other robots so that workflows run end-to-end”.
“This interoperability is important in the long term for the potential deployment of a diverse fleet of AMRs,” it added.
Poh said that on average, it will take about six to eight months for a robot to deployed by a company, though this may vary based on factors such as their use case.
He added that there is a need for “more structured” and “deeper” implementation. “So it’s not just about deploying individual robots, but it’s more about deploying robots as a system.”
Interest in AMRs
In a recent IMDA survey of about 50 digitally mature enterprises in industries such as logistics and manufacturing, 60 per cent of respondents said they do not employ AMRs.
Four-fifths intend to deploy AMRs within the next one to two years.
IMDA noted that 60 per cent of such digitally mature companies are “thinking about implementing” AMRs but do not know where to start; 65 per cent “struggle to find” the appropriate vendors or technology.
“The study made clear the gap isn’t in technology availability or business interest, it’s in the practical, coordinated support that helps companies move from intent to confident action,” said the authority.
Poh said this is why IMDA is seeking to accelerate a broader adoption of robots.
He also said having more robots will result in higher productivity. “If there’s a potential to automate some of the more mundane as well as routine tasks, I think that’s going to free up some of the manpower.”
This would enable individuals to be more productive, “doing more within a shorter amount of time”.
Poh added that with increased automation, individuals would find work more meaningful and be motivated to “operate at a higher level”.
IMDA said firms with existing AMR deployments reported “tangible impact”, including a 22 per cent increase in workforce retention.
The authority will partner Singapore Polytechnic, Panasonic, CapitaLand’s The Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab and local robotics company dConstruct Robotics in the implementation of AMR x DL.
In response to queries from The Business Times, Poh said IMDA will seek to expand the initiative and work with more partners in the future. “We are hoping to build the ecosystem to inspire subsequent innovations,” he added.
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