Robot cleaner that takes lifts on its own debuts in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC

SINGAPORE: An autonomous cleaning robot that can vacuum corridors, navigate around obstacles and take lifts on its own made its first appearance at a Housing Board block in Eunos on Friday (May 22).

The robot is part of a pilot programme at 37C Eunos Road, and is the first deployment of its kind in an HDB estate, said the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Town Council.

At a press conference on Friday, town council chairman and Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling said the move is meant to improve productivity and complement the work of cleaners on the ground.

"We had explored this idea some time ago, but the solution wasn't as ideal back then, especially given the unique high built-up environment at HDB estates. But now as technology advances, we would now like to pilot the use of these robots on the ground," said Ms Tin.

"And hopefully, with this pilot, we will be able to observe how effective this is."

The press conference was held to mark roughly a year since last year's election, at which Ms Tin, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Mr Goh Pei Ming, Ms Diana Pang and Mr Faishal Ibrahim stood uncontested at Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC – the first walkover at a General Election since 2011.

"We thought that now at the one-year mark thereabouts, we should proactively come forward to share with everyone some of the efforts we have made, some of the progress that we have achieved, to stay accountable to our residents," said Ms Tin.

She added that cleanliness, rodent and pigeon-related feedback had all improved across estates over the past six months, falling 10 per cent, 17 per cent and 16 per cent respectively from October 2025 to March this year.

QR-CODE REPORTING SYSTEM

Programmed to sweep and vacuum HDB corridors on all floors, the robot uses water-based cleaning without chemical agents. Its integration with the lift system allows it to independently call and travel to various floors with minimal human intervention.

It is equipped with sensors and obstacle detection technology to navigate around residents, objects and other obstructions. When battery levels run low, it returns to its docking station to recharge before resuming its cleaning schedule.

The town council said it would assess the robot's suitability for broader deployment through residents' feedback and ground observations, looking at operational performance, cleaning effectiveness, block layout, lift compatibility and infrastructure suitability.

To shorten response times to cleanliness issues, the town council is also piloting a QR-code reporting system in Braddell Heights, Eunos Court and Marine Terrace.

Residents and passers-by can scan a QR code on bins to alert cleaning teams when they are full, after which cleaners are deployed to clear them.

Late last year, it was announced that wheelchair users living in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC and Mountbatten SMC would receive up to S$50 (US$39) a month, or S$600 annually, to fund transport costs to medical institutions. 

Called WeCare Wheels, the scheme started on Dec 1 last year and will run until Nov 30 next year.

The scheme comes after the discontinuation of a free shuttle bus service that had operated since July 2024 for residents of the then-Marine Parade GRC, as well as MacPherson and Mountbatten SMCs.

Asked how the WeCare Wheels scheme had been received and whether the shuttle bus might return, Mr Seah said those who had signed up for WeCare Wheels found it useful, and that authorities would continue to review what else could be done.