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Malay Mail
12-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
From guides to guards: Robot dogs find new roles across Singapore's public and private sectors
SINGAPORE, May 12 — From guarding bus depots to guiding the visually impaired, robot dogs are increasingly taking on diverse roles in Singapore, marking a new phase in the city-state's growing adoption of robotics. The quadruped robots, known for their dog-like agility, have become a fixture in several industries here — patrolling construction sites, navigating hazardous zones, and even assisting with social services, according to a report published today in The Straits Times. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot was deployed at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park to enforce safe distancing. Since then, its successors have expanded their scope, with one recently seen accompanying Progress Singapore Party candidate Tony Tan on an election walkabout. According to Chan U-Gene, deputy director at the National Robotics Programme (NRP), Singapore has seen rising interest in robot dogs, particularly for surveillance and inspection tasks. The NRP now tracks more than 300 robotics-related firms — up from 200 in 2023 — reflecting a sector in rapid expansion. While the NRP does not track exact deployment numbers, Chan noted that legged robots offer distinct advantages over wheeled types due to their ability to navigate uneven terrain, stairs, and narrow spaces. Lower costs have also driven adoption. New models from Chinese manufacturers now cost as little as US$2,700 (RM11,600), a fraction of Boston Dynamics' original US$75,000 price tag. At the National University of Singapore (NUS), researchers are trialling robot dogs as assistive guide dogs for the visually impaired. Robotics PhD student Cai Shaojun said the machines are cheaper and easier to train than real guide dogs and can respond to complex commands using artificial intelligence. Cai's team has tested the robots with visually impaired users and is developing them to navigate stairs and complex environments. A pilot is planned for 2025 at public locations like parks and transport hubs. NUS AI Lab is also building software that enables robots to read social cues and move smoothly through crowded spaces, said associate director Harold Soh. Robot dogs are also being deployed as guard dogs. Since September 2024, SBS Transit has used a robot named Mars, developed with Weston Robot, to patrol Seletar Bus Depot. Fitted with high-definition cameras, thermal sensors and live-feed capabilities, Mars monitors for intrusions and tampering, especially in areas difficult for human guards to access. Spot's earlier deployments included monitoring crowd levels and broadcasting safety messages at parks, and delivering medicine at the Changi Exhibition Centre during the pandemic. Other robot dogs now support inspection roles. SP Group uses a robot named SPock to assist in checking up to 6km of underground tunnels, detecting issues like cracks or moisture that are invisible to the naked eye. At Sengkang MRT Depot, SBS Transit introduced Avatar (Advanced Video Analytics Train Assessment Robot) in July 2024 to inspect train undercarriages for issues such as air leaks or loose tank caps, helping technicians reduce physical strain. The robot's agility allows it to climb stairs and navigate tight spaces. SBS Transit is considering expanding its use to detect broken lights and damaged handles. NUS researchers are also exploring robot dog use in public housing, with robots scanning staircases for uniformity in step height and depth. The project is expected to be commercialised as a start-up soon, said project lead Justin Yeoh.
ABC News
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Tony Tan's roast chicken with black bean sauce — a takeaway classic, reimagined the traditional way
Tony Tan is bringing an Aussie takeaway favourite back to its roots, showing Alice how to cook it the traditional way. This dish elevates a humble roast chicken with deep, savoury notes from fermented black beans, Shaoxing wine, and fragrant ginger. But the real secret? A homemade chicken broth — crafted from scratch with bones, aromatics, and time — forming the backbone of countless Asian dishes. This slow, careful process infuses the dish with layers of umami, making it richer and more complex than anything you'd get in a takeaway box. Forget the shortcut — this is how it's really done. Here's the full list of recipes from Season 2 of A Bite To Eat With Alice. This recipe appears in A Bite to Eat with Alice, a new nightly cooking show on ABC iview and weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV.
Straits Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
PSP's Kebun Baru and Marymount candidates promise community initiatives, help with rising costs
ST20250424_202592400913 Kua Chee Siong/ hspsp24/ Mr Tony Tan, 55, candidate for Kebun Baru SMC PSP's first ever physical rally for residents of Marymount SMC, Kebun Baru SMC, held at the Catholic High School located in Bishan Street 22, on April 24, 2025. The Straits Times SINGAPORE – If elected to Parliament, PSP's candidate for Kebun Baru SMC, Mr Tony Tan, says he will be a 'full-time MP'. These were among the campaign promises that Mr Tan made as he spoke to the media during a walkabout at Mayflower Market and Food Centre on April 27. 'The first thing that I want to pledge (to do) is that if given this opportunity to serve, I'll be doing this full-time,' said Mr Tan, co-founder of a private education and gaming firm. His opponent in the single-seat ward, incumbent PAP MP Henry Kwek runs an investment firm. Mr Tan, is a former Singapore Armed Forces scholarship holder with a background in engineering. He is married to Ms Poa, who is the party's first vice-chairperson. As part of his manifesto for Kebun Baru, Mr Tan also proposed several initiatives for the area, including a programme in the morning for elderly residents, that involves home visits especially for those living alone, and activities in the evening to foster community spirit, such as table tennis sessions. While walking the ground, Mr Tan said that he has noticed that more can be done in terms of cleanliness, taking note of Blk 115 at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 - under the Kebun Baru ward - which houses assisted living facilities in particular. 'I would like to know when was the last time (Mr Kwek) visited block 115 ... Has he actually interacted with the residents there, and has he checked the cleanliness of 115,' asked Mr Tan. Mr Tan also repeated the PSP's call to debate policies with opponents, adding that he hoped to at least get a reply from Mr Kwek on the proposed debate and discussion on policies. Accompanying him on the walkabout was PSP founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock, who will be contesting the redrawn West Coast-Jurong West GRC against the PAP team anchored by National Development Minister Desmond Lee. Dr Tan also spent the earlier part of the morning walking the ground with PSP candidate for Marymount Jeffrey Khoo. Mr Khoo, chief executive of a regional risk consulting firm, was part of the PSP A-Team, that was fielded in the 2020 polls in West Coast GRC. The PSP team then lost with 48.32 per cent of the vote against the PAP team's 51.68 per cent – making it the narrowest win for the ruling party in the 2020 election. Addressing media at a walkabout at Shunfu Mart wet market and hawker centre in Marymount SMC , Dr Tan took aim at the government's foreign talent policy, adding that more needs to be done to put the interests of Singaporeans first. On April 26, Mr Khoo's opponent, PAP incumbent MP Gan Siow Huang had said that the PSP's call for 'Singaporean-first policies' failed to take into account factors like the country's size and lack of natural resources. She had also criticised the PSP proposal for a $2,250 minimum monthly wage, calling it 'the easy way out'. Mr Khoo said: 'To be very clear, PSP is not against foreign talent, but the key word must be talent. We definitely need some to come in. But no matter what happens, we have to take care of our own first.' If elected, Mr Khoo also said he plans to hold regular town halls to give residents more platforms for feedback. He also proposed mentorship programmes to link younger people with senior residents. Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times specialising in Singapore's education landscape. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Paper
23-04-2025
- Politics
- New Paper
GE2025: Ang Mo Kio GRC to see three-cornered fight for the first time
Ang Mo Kio GRC, the largest of the 18 GRCs in the upcoming General Election, will be contested by three parties for the first time in its history. The incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) team will go up against challengers from the Singapore United Party (SUP) and the People's Power Party (PPP). At around 10.50 am on April 23, the PAP team turned up at Deyi Secondary in Ang Mo Kio, which also served as the nomination centre for Jalan Kayu, Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang SMCs. Led by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 73, the PAP team also comprises incumbent Ang Mo Kio GRC MPs Darryl David, 54, and Nadia Ahmad Samdin, 35, as well as newcomer Jasmin Lau, 42, and Mr Victor Lye, 63, who was part of the losing PAP teams in Aljunied GRC at the last two general elections. As for the SUP, its Ang Mo Kio slate includes the party's secretary-general Andy Zhu, 42, and Ms Noraini Yunus, 57, who both contested the GRC under the Reform Party banner at the 2020 General Election. The other members of the team are the party's chairman Ridhuan Chandran, 53, flight attendant Nigel Ng, 39, and Dr Vincent Ng, 52, who was part of the National Solidarity Party team that stood in Tampines GRC in 2020. The PPP, which is led by veteran opposition politician Goh Meng Seng, had also earlier announced that it would field candidates in Ang Mo Kio. Its line-up in the constituency comprises party treasurer William Lim, 47, retired civil servant Martinn Ho, 64, safety coordinator Thaddeus Thomas, 43, IT engineer Samuel Lee, 33, and former horticulturalist Heng Zheng Dao, 24. In 2020, the PAP team won by 71.91 per cent of the valid votes against the RP's 28.09 per cent. Ang Mo Kio GRC is the largest GRC in this election, with 161, 235 electors. SM Lee, who stepped down as Prime Minister after 20 years in May 2024, has represented the Teck Ghee ward in the GRC for 41 years, having been first elected to Parliament in 1984. At the Deyi Secondary nomination centre, supporters braved the rain to cheer on their candidates. Some PAP and WP supporters took refuge from the rain under the party banners that they had brought with them. The parents of PAP candidate Jasmin Lau, a former senior civil servant, waited outside the school in the morning to cheer on their daughter. Mr Lau Kwok Cheong, 75, said he wanted to tell his daughter: "Jasmin, me and your mother are here to support you and wish you all the best." Ms Lau was greeted with a hug by her mother, Ms Lim Swee Eng, 69, when she arrived at the school with the rest of the PAP candidates later. Potential candidates for three nearby SMCs also filed their papers at Deyi Secondary on April 23. The earliest candidate to appear at the school was Mr Tony Tan of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), who is running in Kebun Baru SMC. Mr Tony Tan of the Progress Singapore Party at Deyi Secondary on April 23. He is running in Kebun Baru SMC. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Mr Tan, 55, turned up at the entrance of the school, which is also the nomination centre for three SMCs including Kebun Baru, shortly before 9am before heading to a nearby coffee shop to meet up with PSP supporters clad in the party's red and white T-shirts and polo shirts. In Kebun Baru, PSP's Mr Tan will challenge PAP's Henry Kwek, 49, the incumbent MP. Mr Tan, co-founder of a private education and gaming firm, is the husband of PSP first vice-chairman Hazel Poa and a former Singapore Armed Forces scholarship holder. Incumbent Kebun Baru MP Henry Kwek at Deyi Secondary on April 23. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Mr Kwek made his political debut in 2015 as part of the PAP team contesting Nee Soon GRC. In 2020, he was fielded as the PAP candidate for the then newly carved out Kebun Baru single seat, and won against PSP candidate Kumaran Pillai with 62.92 per cent of the vote. In Yio Chu Kang SMC, PAP's incumbent MP Yip Hon Weng, 48, will be up against private college lecturer Michael Fang, 48, of the People's Alliance for Reform, an alliance of three parties. Incumbent Yio Chu Kang MP Yip Hon Weng at Deyi Secondary on April 23. ST PHOTO: VIHANYA RAKSHIKA The People's Alliance for Reform's Mr Michael Fang arriving at Deyi Secondary on April 23. ST PHOTO: SUE-ANN TAN At the 2020 General Election, Mr Yip, then a first-time candidate, defeated PSP's Kayla Low with 60.83 per cent of valid votes. Yio Chu Kang was re-established as a single-member constituency in 2020 after being part of Ang Mo Kio GRC for several elections. The final constituency, the newly carved Jalan Kayu SMC, will be contested between PAP's Ng Chee Meng and Worker's Party candidate Andre Low.
