Tung Meng Fai, the chief director of the NRP; Prof. Tan Chorh Chuan, the chairman of A*STAR; Vanessa Yamzon Orsi, CEO of the OSRF; and Dr, Wang Wei, the deputy government director of R&D at A*STAR SIMTech and A*STAR ARTC, attended ROSCon. | Supply: NRP
The Nationwide Robotics Programme, or NRP, of Singapore yesterday introduced new initiatives to advance robotics adoption and construct a future-ready robotics workforce. They embody organising a shared testbed, a brand new collaboration, nationwide requirements to advance robotic interoperability, and a program to strengthen expertise growth.
“By open collaboration and shared infrastructure, Singapore helps trade companions deploy robotics quicker, safer, and extra broadly,” mentioned Tung Meng Fai, the chief director of the NRP. “It’s encouraging to see the Robotics Middleware Framework, which originated from Singapore, now proliferating globally as Open-RMF and creating affect throughout industries. These newest initiatives reinforce Singapore’s position as each a contributor to the worldwide open-source group and a hub for robotics adoption.”
The NRP mentioned these initiatives mirror the nation’s rising position as a worldwide testbed for open and interoperable robotics, uniting public businesses, analysis companions, and firms to translate innovation into scalable, real-world options.
The bulletins have been made at ROSCon 2025, a developer convention for open-source robotics. The Open Supply Robotics Basis (OSRF) hosted the present in Singapore for the primary time.
The NRP was established in 2016 as a part of the RIE (Analysis, Innovation and Enterprise) initiative. The group goals to catalyze differentiated robotics capabilities in Singapore by the funding of use-inspired analysis and use-driven growth. NRP additionally makes use of the tasks it funds to develop Singapore’s robotics expertise pool and nurture a vibrant native ecosystem.
Singapore NRP creates testbeds for RMF
Visitor-of-honor Prof. Tan Chorh Chuan, the chairman of A*STAR, toured the Singapore Pavilion at ROSCon. | Supply: NRP
Singapore’s Nationwide Robotics Programme co-launched the Robotics Middleware Framework (RMF) in 2018. The organizations developed this system regionally with companions Changi Common Hospital (CGH), the Centre for Healthcare Assistive and Robotics Expertise (CHART), Synapxe, HOPE Technik, and OSRF. It grew to become one of many world’s first normal platforms for robotics interoperability.
Constructed on the Robotic Working System (ROS), a set of software program libraries and instruments that assist builders construct robotic functions, RMF permits robots and techniques from completely different producers to work collectively. It reduces repetitive integration work and helps robotics adopters and firms deploy robots extra safely and effectively. RMF is already in use in main amenities such because the CGH and the Changi Airport.
To allow safer and quicker deployment of robots in shared environments, NRP introduced the institution of the ELEVATE at BCA Braddell Campus — a nationwide sandbox for RMF. The group made the announcement along with the Public Sector Science and Expertise Coverage and Plans Workplace (S&TPPO), the Company for Science, Expertise and Analysis (A*STAR), and the Constructing and Building Authority (BCA).
This sandbox gives each a bodily and digital check surroundings for collaboration. It permits finish customers, OEMs for robots and infrastructure, and system integrators to return collectively and validate how robots, lifts, and constructing techniques work together in amenities administration utilizing Open-RMF. It will likely be the primary of a number of sectoral sandboxes deliberate to drive RMF adoption throughout industries.
NRP is inviting native companions to take part within the sandbox at ELEVATE at BCA Braddell Campus. A number of firms, together with Black Sesame Applied sciences, Delta Electronics, HOPE Technik, KABAM Robotics, LionsBot, MEGAZO Applied sciences, Panasonic, and SIMPPLE, are the primary members of the sandbox.
A*STAR and OSRF to collaborate on greatest practices
Again row from left to proper: Dr. Brian Gerkey, board chair of the OSRF; Prof. Tan Chorh Chuan, chairman of A*STAR; and Mr. Tung Meng Fai, the chief director of the NRP. Entrance row from left to proper: Ms. Vanessa Yamzon Orsi, the CEO of the OSRF; and Dr. Zhang Jingbing, the senior R&D director of good robotics and automation at A*STAR SIMTech and A*STAR ARTC. | Supply: NRP
To strengthen worldwide collaboration, the A*STAR Superior Remanufacturing and Expertise Centre (A*STAR ARTC) and the OSRF signed a memorandum of understanding.
The companions mentioned they are going to co-develop greatest practices, tips, and testing plans for RMF because it pertains to open supply robotics, utilizing the sandbox at ELEVATE at BCA Braddell Campus as a reference web site. In addition they plan to concentrate on ecosystem development by roadmap growth and group engagement.
“Our collaboration with the Open Supply Robotics Basis underscores A*STAR’s dedication to advancing open, interoperable applied sciences,” mentioned Dr David Low, CEO of A*STAR ARTC. “By combining A*STAR’s technical experience with OSRF’s world expertise, we purpose to additional develop the Open-RMF as a common framework for robotic interoperability and speed up robotics adoption throughout industries. This partnership exemplifies A*STAR’s mission to translate analysis into real-world affect.”
Singapore develops two nationwide requirements for interoperability
Avidbots deployed cleansing robots on the Changi Airport in Singapore. | Supply: NRP
To help protected and scalable robotics adoption, Singapore’s two new nationwide requirements for robotic interoperability have been showcased at ROSCon 2025. These requirements are:
Robotics working teams developed the SS 713 and TR 130, overseen by the Manufacturing Requirements Committee beneath the purview of the Singapore Requirements Council. These working teams, co-convened by CHART and HOPE Technik, have been made up of presidency and trade stakeholders. They established clear tips governing how robots ought to talk with lifts, automated doorways, constructing techniques, and central command techniques.
SS 713, which focuses particularly on constructing infrastructure integration, presents a unified protocol for standardised robotic operations in advanced amenities. Corporations aligned with this normal will be capable of exhibit readiness to facility operators. The NRP mentioned efforts are beneath solution to elevate SS 713 to the worldwide ISO stage, setting a worldwide benchmark for robotic communication with facility techniques worldwide.
Making a future-ready robotics workforce
To strengthen Singapore’s robotics expertise pipeline, the ROS-Industrial Consortium Asia Pacific (ROS-I AP), led by A*STAR ARTC, and SGInnovate launched the ROS Prepare-and-Place Programme on Deep Tech Central.
This program builds on an earlier partnership between ROS-I AP and 7 Institutes of Larger Studying. This partnership centered on nurturing a baseline competency of ROS-related capabilities that the trade can depend on. It did this by harmonising college students’ studying outcomes and bettering their ROS capabilities.
The most recent collaboration between ROS-I AP and SGInnovate will emphasise trade placement. It would use SGInnovate’s ecosystem connectivity and expertise growth programmes to attach expertise straight with robotics firms comparable to AiTreat, Fabrica AI, Griffin Labs, Hivebotics, and Vilota.
By equipping trainees with hands-on expertise and connecting them with deployment alternatives, this system hopes to deal with the expertise hole in robotics and embodied AI and construct a pipeline of ROS-trained expertise. The information and insights generated from Deep Tech Central will even allow a deeper understanding of robotics expertise wants and trade demand, strengthening the capabilities of Singapore’s robotics ecosystem whereas contributing to the broader world robotics group, mentioned the companions.
