New lab at NTU to advance AI-powered humanoid robots for industry use

It will focus on humanoid robot applications in manufacturing, logistics and healthcare

- Lee Li Ying Correspondent

A new corporate laboratory for further research and innovation in artificial intelligence-enabled humanoid robotics was officially launched at the Nanyang Technological University on Nov 27.

Humanoid robots are designed to resemble the human form and built to mimic human motion and behaviour. They have been touted as the next big development in tech, with companies looking to deploy them on manufacturing floors and logistics hubs for a start.

The new lab is part of the third phase of collaboration between NTU and automotive and industrial components supplier Schaeffler, which began in 2017.

Called the Schaeffler-NTU Corporate Lab: Intelligent Mechatronics Hub, the new 900 sq m facility will focus on humanoid robot applications in manufacturing, logistics and healthcare.

Funding for the new lab comes under a $70 million joint funding arrangement from the National Research Foundation, Singapore, under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan. The funding covers NTU and Schaeffler's collaboration efforts from 2017 to 2029.