Automated wave of the future is here

Healthcare, hospitality and aviation, among the sectors hardest hit by an ongoing labour crunch amplified by the coronavirus pandemic, are coping with demand in novel ways. Wheeled robots carry cargo at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), self-service kiosks at Swissotel The Stamford automate check-ins, and electronic kiosks exist at information counters in Changi Airport Terminals 1 and 3. Automation allows SGH, for example, to focus on filling in-demand roles such as nursing and medical support. The hospital can also optimise productivity and schedule deliveries more effectively by automating the transport of supplies. For Swissotel The Stamford, the automated check-in and check-out counters simplify work processes, eliminate paperwork, free up front-office staff for more personalised interactions, and use in-built biometric facial scanners to verify guest identities, thus increasing the level of security. Apart from the use of the kiosks, Changi's automation of baggage transport frees airside workers to focus on more complex last-mile operations such as aircraft handling. At the end of the day, patients, guests and travellers benefit from initiatives that cater to their needs amid a labour shortage.

This is the automated wave of the future on which Singapore at large must ride. According to the International Federation of Robotics, Singapore ranked first in the world for robot density - or robots installed per 10,000 employees - in the manufacturing industry in 2019. Robotics and automation are becoming common in industries from automotive to aerospace to consumer goods, and as the understanding of robotics increases, so, too, does the ability to implement automated systems in more sectors. The Economic Development Board notes the broader perspective within which automation should be seen. The fourth industrial revolution is upon the world. The first three industrial revolutions of mechanisation, mass production and computerisation define the world today. The fourth will usher in a new age of innovation and transformation characterised by the advent of cyberphysical systems that reflect the convergence of the digital and physical worlds.