On 9 October 2017, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) held its inaugural Robotics Day, where 72 participants from various fields attended a six-hour workshop on the basics of robotics.
Jointly developed by e2i and Singapore Polytechnic’s (SP) Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Control Centre (ARICC), the robotics training programme will also be offering courses in two other levels – intermediate and advanced – in 2018. Eligible parties can receive subsidies from e2i and the Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP).
At the event, e2i also distributed a handbook to guide small- and medium-sized enterprises to incorporate robotics into their operations. There was also a sharing session by speakers from SP who encouraged attendees to welcome robots as co-workers that can extend human reach and expand their potential as employees.
“Singapore companies need to be on the faster side of change to remain globally competitive. We cannot afford to be less productive than countries with cheaper labour. It’s not just about survival. If you can do a good job in robotics, automation and sensors, you will not just increase revenue but profitability too. It’s a short-term investment for a longer-term gain, and more secure jobs for our workforce,” said CEO of e2i Gilbert Tan.
Simplifying the Process
Participants got to take home a miniature robot that they had learned to build using a start-up kit in the class.
CoSpace, the software used during the class, allows simulation of robot in virtual-reality and easy programming of the actual product. According to ARICC Centre Director Dr Zhou Changjiu, it is used for educational purposes in over 40 countries and about 20 per cent of the schools in Singapore. Robotics Day was the first time CoSpace was introduced to working adults.
“We shouldn’t let them start from scratch and do hard coding. We need to give them all the tools and building blocks. Many people have the misunderstanding that robotics is complicated and time-intensive. By providing an intuitive, customisable platform – CoSpace, we can change their mindset,” explained Dr Zhou.
Spreading Industry Adoption
Dr Zhou, who founded ARICC some two decades ago, has seen batches of students join the research team and subsequently become entrepreneurs in the robotics industry. He said building an ecosystem amongst various stakeholders and a talent pool is key for robotics to reach the masses.
He shared: “Our students produce a lot of high-quality final year projects, but what’s really missing is in the gap between research and application. That is where e2i and NTUC play a very important role to gather students, educators, and industry people from different sectors at one place.”
While the centre’s robots can now perform basic functions such as inspection and sorting, he is looking to tap on government agencies and the Labour Movement to identify business needs and add functions for wider industrial applications.
