Lionsbot
Assembly Line
Singapore's industrial robot startups eye global markets
Founded in 2018, Lionsbot builds autonomous cleaning robots for small offices and large commercial and industrial settings, such as airports, warehouses, museums and hospitals. The company has four models selling for between $25,000 and $90,000. One of its more compact models, the R3 Scrub, is 81 centimeters tall, 60 cm long, 45 cm wide and weighs 60 kilograms.
Using high-precision sensors and AI systems, the robots are programmed to clean tight spaces and require only remote supervision. Cleaners can use mobile apps to control a fleet of dozens of robots on multiple floors simultaneously and receive real-time updates on the robots’ progress. Lionsbot designed the robots from scratch with the help of Mohan Rajesh Elara, a professor at Singapore University of Technology and Design.
Eureka Robotics is another local startup targeting the global market. In April, the company announced a joint project with Japanese tire maker Bridgestone’s corporate venture arm to develop robotic arms for warehouses that can pick up various objects. The company’s strength lies in its core software and AI technology that can connect various robotics arms – even those made by different manufacturers – using 3D cameras and sensors to perform specialized tasks.
Due to its higher operating costs, Singaporean robotics companies have a hard time competing with Chinese rivals on price. So local companies are targeting more developed markets like the U.S., Europe and Japan, where demand for automation is rising due to higher wages and staff shortages.