Facilities management technology provider Simpple has deployed 89 autonomous cleaning robots across three major MRT lines in Singapore.

This has become the largest robotic fleet in the land transport sector with rail operator SMRT Trains.

Aligned with the broader Singapore government initiative to push towards more automation and digital transformation, SMRT Trains awarded the autonomous cleaning robot contract to Simpple across three major train lines of Singapore’s MRT mass rapid transit system. The value of the contract was not disclosed.

These robots use sensors and artificial intelligence to navigate through MRT stations with precision, ensuring a more thorough and consistent clean without human intervention. Intended to accelerate the speed and efficiency of cleaning operations, these robots relieve the cleaning workforce of strenuous and repetitive tasks.

As demand for environmental services continues to rise, driven by economic sophistication and urbanisation, public expectations on maintaining good standards of public hygiene remain high amid Singapore’s international reputation as a clean and green city. That said, the tight labour market and aging workforce in Singapore compel forward-looking enterprises such as SMRT Trains to adopt new technologies.

Simpple’s robots complement an already people-lean workforce while enabling existing staff to focus on more complex tasks. As part of the contract to work in tandem with the cleaning workforce, Simpple also trained the cleaners at the MRT stations to operate robots, analyse robot-collected data, and project trends to optimise workflows to increase efficiency.

Over the past months, SMRT (www.smrt.com.sg) has witnessed a cleaner environment and a more productive workforce. These autonomous cleaning robots clean a defined area three times faster than workers, which in turn, frees up time for them to focus on toilet cleanliness and productive task assignments.

“We are thrilled to supply our robots all across Singapore’s MRT stations,” said Norman Schroeder, chief executive of Simpple. “Partnering with SMRT Trains to transform facility management operations with autonomous cleaning robots is a step in the right direction as Singapore transitions to outcome-based contracting. This deployment to supply 89 robots marks our strategic expansion into the rail transport sector in Singapore, and possibly more going forward. Simpple stands ready to support all other overseas rail operators in their own countries with our autonomous cleaning robotics.”

Headquartered in Singapore, Simpple (www.simpple.ai) is a technology provider in the emerging proptech space, focused on helping facilities owners and managers manage facilities autonomously. Founded in 2016, the company has a strong foothold in the Singapore facilities management market, serving more than 60 clients in the public and private sectors and extending out of Singapore into Australia and the Middle East. The company has developed its proprietary technology to create an automated workforce management tool for building maintenance, surveillance and cleaning comprised of a mix of software and hardware such as robots for cleaning and security, and IoT devices.