Marina Bay Sands successfully deployed a fleet of 12 Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for back-of-house deliveries.
The addition of robotics aims to optimise hotel operations, as well as those on the expo and convention side of the business.
Typically deployed for supply chain deliveries in factories around the world, the AMRs perform a critical but manpower-laborious task of deliveries for the 24/7 integrated resort (IR).
How robots improve operations at Singapore’s foremost integrated resort
With close to 20 pre-programmed routes, each AMR can transport a maximum load of 300kg and travel at a top speed of up to 84 metres per minute.
Safety laser scanners allow for intelligent wayfinding and obstacle detecting, enabling them to come to a halt in front of obstacles and safely navigate around objects in their path.
Following the successful deployment of four robots to manage deliveries for the Hotel in March 2024, Marina Bay Sands introduced another eight robots to support deliveries for the hotel and the Expo & Convention Centre in September 2024.
Another five will be programmed and rolled out in the second half of 2025.
The resort’s vice-president of procurement and supply chain Shijith Prathapan said of the innovation: “Running a large-scale integrated resort like Marina Bay Sands requires effective workforce planning, and since day one, we have fostered a culture of productivity by investing in innovation. As we continue to invest in Singapore, we will pursue even more innovative tools to elevate workplace processes together with our suppliers, who have been instrumental in enhancing our productivity.”
To date, over 200 work processes have already been automated across various business functions, allowing the resort to repurpose over 162,000 man-hours towards greater value-added tasks annually.
Moving forward with technology
Marina Bay Sands is also continuously refining existing productivity measures, to ensure processes are optimised with modern technology.
The Wardrobe, a prime example of automation and productivity with an inventory containing over 200,000 pieces of uniforms in 18 conveyors running round the clock, underwent an upgrade last year.
Previously, each uniform was embedded with a high-frequency chip which can track the location of clothing as well as the number of washes.
Last year, the integrated resort replaced the chip in each uniform with an ultra-high-frequency chip and upgraded its inventory management system, allowing an additional function of automated stocktaking.
By pushing a trolley of uniforms into a high-tech black box known as the “U-Door”, the team can capture the number of uniforms in just 30 seconds, counting up to 400 pieces of clothing within this timeframe. In the past, the stock-taking task was done manually.
