Autonomous Robosweepers Begin Work in the Heart of Singapore

One of the world’s most recognizable backdrops for holiday pictures now has an added attraction – autonomous road cleaners.

Marina Bay in the Asian city-state of Singapore is playing host to electric Robosweepers from Chinese company WeRide, which has commenced operations there following the recent granting of licenses from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority.

And that’s no mean feat given the Garden City’s legendary pursuit of cleanliness, which even extends to banning chewing gum to prevent it from making a mess of sidewalks and roads when spat out.

The deployment of the Robosweeper S6 and Robosweeper S1 constitutes Singapore’s first commercialized autonomous sanitation project, and according to WeRide it will pave the way for “the broader adoption of smart sanitation technologies in the country.”

Credit: WeRide

WeRide’s success in gaining approval to operate commercially comes a mere five months after it initially teamed up with local environmental services company Chye Thiam Maintenance (CTM) with the specific goal of autonomous deployment.

Following a robust testing program, licenses were awarded that allow the S6 to operate nightly from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. cleaning the Marina Coastal Drive area, while the S1 performs daytime cleaning on the non-motorized lanes and surrounding areas of the Esplanade from 8-10:30 a.m. and 2-5 p.m.

Related:Driverless Robosweeper Brings AV Tech to Street Cleaning

While the unmanned S6 can provide services such as sweeping, dust suppression and washing, the S1 – launched earlier this year – takes things to the next level.

It’s claimed to be the world’s first Level 4 sanitation autonomous vehicle that can cope with all cleaning scenarios, including dumping of garbage, with its automated tech allowing it to retain close proximity to road edges while still being able to navigate around static and moving obstacles.

The S1 has been launched in a number of Chinese cities – including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian, Beijing, and Zhengzhou – building on the success of WeRide’s original Roadsweeper, which was first deployed in 2022.

However, in Singapore, it is currently being assessed on fixed routes rather than open roads, although Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport, recently suggested that more advanced pilots may be possible. He explained: “With the experience gained from these trials we will consider expanding to more challenging routes.”

WeRide says it hopes the Singapore experience will help in its efforts to deploy Roadsweepers in more cities worldwide.

The company has made no secret of its global ambitions, and in 2023 received a groundbreaking permit to test its AVs country-wide in the United Arab Emirates.

Related:WeRide Gets National Self-Driving License From UAE