Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and Delta Electronics have joined forces to establish the Delta-NTU Corporate Lab for Advanced Robotics, a collaborative research and development initiative aimed at overcoming labor shortage challenges in the manufacturing and intralogistics industries. With a funding of S$24 million, the lab will focus on developing next-generation technologies over a three-year period.
The Delta-NTU Corporate Lab is supported by Singapore’s National Research Foundation’s Research Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 plan. Its main objective is to address the labor crunch caused by an aging workforce and declining birth rates, by creating advanced robotic systems suitable for Industry 5.0. These systems will include robots capable of adjusting their grip to handle various materials, as well as smart sensing, radar, and 3D sensor systems for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to operate in dynamic environments.
The joint lab was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade & Industry, Mr. Alvin Tan, NTU President Professor Ho Teck Hua, and Delta Electronics Chairman, Mr. Yancey Hai.
Professor Ho emphasized that the collaboration with Delta Electronics demonstrates NTU’s commitment to industry-relevant research. He stated that the lab provides opportunities to translate research into real-world innovations, aligning with NTU’s strategic vision for 2025 to leverage digital and advanced technologies for better learning and living experiences.
Yancey Hai, Chairman of Delta Electronics, expressed gratitude for the long-term cooperation with NTU and highlighted the lab’s significance in the context of Singapore’s RIE 2025 initiative. Delta Electronics intends to leverage its expertise in smart manufacturing and autonomous mobile robots to develop essential technologies for the next generation of AMRs. Hai believes the lab’s innovation milestones will help solve key challenges in multiple industries, enhance Singapore’s long-term resilience, and improve the quality of life for its citizens.
The establishment of the Delta-NTU Corporate Lab deepens the partnership between NTU and Delta Electronics. In 2016, the two organizations launched the Delta-NTU Corporate Laboratory for Cyber-Physical Systems, focusing on technological capabilities for Smart Manufacturing and Smart Learning. This collaboration yielded significant results, including 17 filed patents, 8 of which have been issued, and over 200 research papers submitted to journals and conferences. Notable projects from this collaboration include a universal smart navigation system for logistics robots and a learning analytics technology to enhance learning effectiveness.
The Delta-NTU Corporate Lab for Advanced Robotics aims to build on the success of the previous collaboration. It will focus on research and development for advanced robotics, aiming to develop cutting-edge solutions to address real-world challenges in a sustainable manner. The lab’s co-director, Associate Professor Andy Khong, emphasized the importance of this partnership in line with NTU’s Sustainability Manifesto, which aims to strengthen global partnerships for sustainable development.
Tzi-cker Chiueh, General Director of the Delta Research Centre, highlighted the potential for commercializing the technologies developed through collaboration with NTU. The intellectual property generated, including 3D mapping and localization for automated guided vehicles and robotic arm manipulation techniques, will serve as a foundation for the new lab’s research efforts.
The collaboration between NTU and Delta Electronics has been welcomed by Professor Quek Tong Boon, Chief Executive of the National Robotics Programme (NRP). He expressed his support for the partnership and hopes to see more collaborations between Institutes of Higher Learning and industry, as they contribute to Singapore’s growing robotics ecosystem.
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