Overview

A Competitive Advantage
Robotics is an enabling technology: it allows companies to be more competitive in today's economy. Heatec Jietong is a Singapore-based marine equipment firm that cleans ship hulls. It found that it was able to remove paint 10 times faster than before by using the envirobot; a cleaning robot that was jointly developed with American firm, Chariot Envirobotics. Offering more productive and efficient solutions, robotics has become entrenched in industries due to their differentiating competencies.

The manufacturing industry has long utilised robots for mundane, repetitive or hazardous work, but nowadays robots also offer greater precision, consistency and performance in a wide range of tasks over diverse fields. Unmanned robots are now used in disaster zones to locate people trapped under rubble. Recognising the need to improve efficiency, Singapore Polytechnic worked with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to design a robot, lighter and smaller than ones currently in the market, to assist in SCDF search and rescue operations.

In the construction industry, Singapore-based wood processing company Pacific Forest Products improved efficiency and productivity by 200 percent when it introduced robots into the production process for its high quality wood products destined for high-end hotels and resorts. "The IRB6640 Foundry Robot helped Pacific Forest produce an output equivalent of 20 workers," reported the robot's designers, ABB, a Swiss-Swedish power and automation technology company. Working on expensive and difficult to cut woods, these robots were not only more precise than traditional methods of cutting; they also helped reduce the company's costs, wastage of wood, and carbon emissions.

From Factory Floor to Home and Office
In 2009, the Frankfurt-based International Federation of Robotics (IFR) reported that the automobile industry "was the most important purchaser of industrial robots." Robots in this, and other manufacturing industries, have little 'face time' with people. Their work is primarily concerned with the assembly line: repetitive, highly accurate work that includes assembling parts and components, spraying finishes, inspection and quality control, cutting, polishing, and welding.

The move from the manufacturing industry to the wider sphere, however, will see the level and frequency of human interaction with robots rise. This will mainly occur in two sectors: professional service robots and personal service robots. Personal service robots are used to educate, assist or entertain at home. Professional service robots enhance work processes, productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

Both types are employed in ever increasing numbers. The IFR reports that a total of 8.7 million personal service robots were sold globally in 2009, against seven million units the year before. Meanwhile, the total value for professional service robots sold in 2009 was US$13.2 billion.

In Asia, which, along with the USA and Europe, pioneers robotics, this adoption is already underway. Singapore's Manpower Minister, Gan Kim Yong, noted in early 2011 that back-end processes in the service industry, such as food preparation in restaurants, are being automated to increase productivity, while South Korea: the fourth-largest robot producer in the world, projects that there will be a personal service robot for every Korean household by 2020.

Facts on the ground

Human Interaction
As human-robot-interaction becomes more pronounced, there are efforts to develop robots with more humanistic traits as robots that can respond more naturally to humans, will also work more efficiently alongside them. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) - Singapore's scientific research agency - introduced its receptionist robot 'Olivia' in 2010. The American space agency NASA also has their own range of social robots: robonauts, which are humanoid robots designed to work alongside astronauts. In February 2011, the robonaut, R2, capable of using space tools and working in low or zero gravity environments, was delivered to the International Space Station to undergo operational tests.

The combination of impending, large-scale interaction between service robots and humans, and robots with 'humanistic traits', poses new challenges to the regulatory, legal and social standards governing the industry. In response, international and professional bodies like the IFR and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) have hosted global discussions to reach consensus on the subject.

Regulatory Framework
Although robots that display certain human traits are still at a relatively nebulous stage, studies have shown that people face apprehension when interacting with them. While Japan's Aizu Chua Hospital had positive reactions from patients to three robotic 'receptionists' in its waiting rooms, a study by the USA's Georgia Institute of Technology showed that people were uncomfortable dealing with mechanical nurse robots speaking in a synthesised female voice.

Responding to these issues, companies involved in the industry are acting to establish a framework around the relatively nebulous industry. "We realise that robotics is still in its infancy stages" says Rubina Gan, at Panasonic Systems Asia Pacific - the robotics development arm of the Japanese consumer electronics firm. "Many regulatory, operations and even clinical mindset changes will have to come into place to support the deployment and adoption of such robotics solutions. One key area is the establishment of safety regulations or standards, especially since these robotic solutions will be expected to interact with humans."

In anticipation of private industry needs, Singapore has taken a thought leadership role. The International Conference on Social Robotics will be held in Singapore in May 2011 and will bring together scientists, researchers, and industry players to discuss issues pertaining to robotic interactions with humans and their integration into society. The influential International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which promulgates worldwide proprietary industrial and commercial standards, has also introduced guidelines on the construction, design and application of robots, driven by 'much more extensive human-robot-interaction (HRI) behaviour than previous generations of industrial robots.' The key area of ISO's work is 'developing safety standards for robotic applications in personal and medical care,' as this industry has emerged as the one where HRI is most prevalent.

Robotics in Healthcare: Synergy and Success
The healthcare industry has seen increasing adoption of robotics in people-facing environments, and Singapore's healthcare environment has accelerated this adoption as well. Singapore has an excellent healthcare system: it ranked 6th in the World Health Organization's ranking of the world's health systems in the year 2000. As one of Asia's leaders in both healthcare and clinical practice, and robotics: the two industries naturally have synergy to work together on mutually beneficial developments.

In the care giving industry, Singapore firm, Robotronics Land Pte Ltd has developed a multi-purpose elderly care robot. The robot's primary functions are to monitor vital signs, detect falls, or fire and gas emergencies, and then inform the corresponding caregiver in case of an emergency. With numbers of professional caregivers falling, robots are an effective way to ensure aging populations enjoy an improved quality of life.

A further example of the value that robotics can provide in the healthcare field is Singapore firm, Biobot Surgical's innovative surgical robot: the iSR'obot. Not only can it perform prostate biopsy - a procedure to test for prostate cancer - but it can also do "prostate cancer mapping, focal therapy and active surveillance" explains the company's managing director, Dr. Deli Li. The multi-tasking iSR'obot's provides a generic platform for other surgical procedures, such as rectal, kidney, liver, and breast diseases diagnosis and treatment: significantly increasing its value to a medical centre.

Early Adoption and Thought Leadership
Singaporean healthcare executives also recognise the value in early adoption of the most advanced technologies in Singapore hospitals. "We are aligning ourselves with the world's leading heart centres in providing cutting-edge technology in surgery," says Associate Professor Theo Kofidis, Director of the Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program at the National University Hospital (NUH). The NUH has brought in the da Vinci surgical system - a robotic platform that minimises the effects of invasive surgery through the use of keyhole surgery, and which means patients can be discharged just two days after the procedure. Robotics is a good alternative to conventional heart valve surgery, explains Kofidis, because not only does it minimise surgical trauma to the patient, it eliminates tremors and enhances a surgeon's vision and therefore accuracy.

One challenge to widespread adoption of robotic surgery systems is the cost relative to conventional surgery. However, while the initial cost outlay for a medical robot may seem at first prohibitive, Dr. Christopher Cheng, at Singapore General Hospital's Department of Urology, points out that this is true of most advanced technology in medicine. "The cost of each procedure comes down with more procedures done [by surgical robotics] per year, thus diluting the capital and maintenance cost."

The massive improvements that robotics can bring to the critical sphere of surgery, and the imperative to make this as widely available and affordable as possible, are key drivers in developing new technologies and robotics. In Asia, Singapore companies and organisations have leveraged off the country's mature consumer market, as evidenced in the widespread adoption of robotics in the healthcare industry, to make Singapore one of the region's R&D development hubs.

Robotic Research
To effectively develop robotics, companies operating in the industry can draw on a large pool of skilled specialists, and a forward-looking, reputable health care system that is open to new innovations. However, for private companies to consistently and successfully bring innovative solutions to market, they need an integrated framework of research and R&D that incorporates public and private companies and organisations. Singapore is emerging as Asia's robotics hub precisely because it offers companies these competitive advantages.

One of the main pillars of any R&D is governmental support and partnership with academic institutes. In 2008, A*STAR and the National University of Singapore (NUS) set up the Social Robotics Laboratory within the university's campus to assist private enterprise in the advancement of robotic intelligence and engineering technology. Housing a dedicated group of researchers, engineers and designers from multi-disciplinary backgrounds, the laboratory has worked on projects that range from robotic control systems for deepwater marine and offshore engineering, to a dextrous robot hand that can mimic human hand action.

Test Beds
Research requires 'test-bedding' facilities to enable the solutions be put through stress testing in a regulated framework with recognised levels of certification. Panasonic's Rubina Gan says the electronics giant chose to test its convertible robotic bed-wheelchair in Singapore because the country "has always advocated the concept of the living lab, not only offering test-bedding opportunities for industry partners to trial new products, but also providing the eco-system to support it."

This eco-system allows the industry a dedicated space to develop, design and prototype robotic solutions in a real-time environment. Nanyang Technological University's Robotic Research Centre brings together industry players, government agencies, researchers, and academics. Currently, the centre focuses on various research areas, including modular reconfigurable robotic systems, underwater robotics, and intelligent vehicle design. Offering facilities, including two satellite laboratories focusing on medical robotics and intelligent vehicle technology, and support from experts drawn from the fields of computer, electronic, mechanical and aerospace engineering, the centre has been involved extensively in various industry projects requiring robotics solutions.

The Singapore difference

Collaboration: Public and Private
Companies have leveraged off this R&D-conducive environment to build on the resources and research available locally. Medical robotics is, naturally enough given Singapore's pre-eminence in the field, an area in which numerous companies are designing, developing and testing new robots and technologies.

Singapore hospitals have worked with private enterprise to improve their robotic capabilities and technological expertise. Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) Rehabilitation Centre has partnered with Swiss-based firm Hocoma to provide robotic rehabilitation therapy for patients with stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries. Hocoma specialises in functional movement therapy, and since 2008 more than 100 patients at TTSH have benefited from its Lokomat robotic gait training systems. One such, Rasherman Bin Ibrahim, recounts, "I had totally forgotten how to walk properly after injuring my spinal cord in a car accident." After a year of using the Lokomat, Rasherman was able to walk independently again.

As well as significantly improving physical functions, robotic aids offer patients greater self-independence, which increases self esteem, as well as reducing dependence on caregivers. Hospital productivity also increases as physiotherapists can focus on monitoring patients' well being and performance during the robotic gait training, rather than exerting considerable physical effort themselves during training patients.

These collaborations are part of Singapore healthcare's commitment "to engage its community of both local and international clinical partners and bioengineers in offering appropriate technology-based treatment regimens to our patients in Singapore," says Dr Chan Kay Fei, Head and Senior Consultant of TTSH Rehabilitation Medicine.

Access to Asia
Having tested the technologies and shown commercial proof of concept, companies require both proximity to customers and a platform from which to showcase their products. Asia is the obvious market to access, with robotic sales to the region increasing by 27% in 2010 and Dr. Andreas Bauer, chairman of the IFR Industrial Robot Suppliers Group, predicting that Asian markets will continue to drive an increase in robot sales.

To access the region developers require a hub with excellent logistical and communication links. Robotics giants ABB set up its Robotics Application Centre in Singapore in September 2010. The centre offers a robotic picking, packing, and palletizing line - essential for industries like food & beverage, pharmaceutical production and semiconductors. James Foo, ABB's president and country manager in Singapore, said, "we benefit from the presence of high-end manufacturing industries in Singapore, great local and regional companies that support the development of cost-effective systems, and a booming food & beverage industry in Southeast Asia." The country's geo-strategic location, transport links and inter-connectivity to Southeast and East Asia, plus its facilities as a sounding board for commercial viability, makes it an ideal launch pad to the region for robotic developers.

Robotic Rights Protected
Increasing penetration into the Asian markets means robotics companies are moving into emerging economies where intellectual property protection is key for growth and sustainability. Within Asia, Singapore offers favourable IP conditions in which to operate; the Singapore Academy of Law notes: "Singapore courts take a very serious view of trade mark offences... The imposition of strong deterrent sentences is part of the efforts to promote Singapore as a regional intellectual property centre." This willingness to clamp down on piracy of intellectual property assists companies seeking regional protection.

In addition, the strict regulatory framework and internationally recognised classification systems mean Singaporean certification should be recognised worldwide. Biobot Surgical have been been developing a surgical robot in Singapore, before obtaining the necessary licensing, standardization and approval for marketing in Europe, Taiwan and Australia.

A Pool of Talent
To sustain the growth of the robotics industry, it is crucial to develop a pipeline of talent. Robotics is a highly technical subject that requires both academic knowledge and practical experience to produce the necessary depth of talent pool from which to staff the industry. Singapore has an advantage in that it already has two thriving industries in electronics and precision engineering. The electronics industry employs about 76,000 people, 19% of total manufacturing jobs in Singapore, while in the area of the precision engineering the country produces 70% of the world's wire bonders, which are used in the semiconductor industry - an essential component in robotics. This combination of an existing pool of skilled talent, and the technical equipment and processes in place, provides robotics companies with twin pools of complementary resources to draw on.

Conscious of the need to supply a pipeline of robotic-knowledgeable graduates, Nanyang Technological University and the USA's Carnegie-Mellon University offer a dual degree PhD programme on mechanical engineering to meet industry needs. Private companies also partner with academic institutions in order to create a conduit of talent. ST Kinetics - a leading defence and specialty vehicles companies - is working with local Singaporean schools to introduce students there to robotics. Along with Singapore Polytechnic, ST Kinetics is forming a robotics centre, which aims, says Richard Chin, head of the firm's Autonomous Centre of Excellence, to give students "the opportunity to work with larger size robotic vehicles, but also presents a future ready talent pool in this field for ST Kinetics."

Other industry draws, such as the Singapore-hosted RoboCup 2010 - the world's biggest robotics and artificial intelligence event - saw 4000 participants from over 40 countries test their engineering, science and innovative skills. It also enabled participants, corporate sponsors and industry representatives to reach out to and network with researchers and scientists.

An Integrated Solution
Robotics will continue to play a more prominent role in peoples' personal and professional lives. Their value to human quality of life cannot be understated, however, that should not underestimate the importance of successfully meeting the many challenges and issues that the industry throws up.

The Singapore scenario of research, academia and industry players working together in an integrated setup allows a holistic environment where private enterprise leverages off the skills, equipment, facilities and knowledge of outside actors, and public institutions, such as hospitals and universities can develop new capabilities through access to cutting-edge technology.