SG-based Ross Digital to export new robotics tech to US, Europe

Nanyang Kopi, one of Ross Digital’s robots / Photo credit: Ross Digital

Ross Digital, a robotics firm for food and beverage (F&B) products, has partnered with the Singapore government to develop technology that will enable robots to quickly learn how to fry, cook, steam, make coffee, and clean dishes.

In a recent interview with Tech in Asia, Ross Digital CEO and founder Gavin Pathross said both the company and the government have invested S$3.5 million (US$2.6 million) in the project.

According to the Singapore-based firm, by applying AI and computer vision, robots will be able to self-navigate in a dynamic environment such as restaurant kitchens, making them “smart” enough to clean used plates, dishes, and utensils.

“Robots are far from being in place for the F&B industry as where we are in the life cycle is like self-driving cars 10 years ago,” Pathross said, adding that the tech that the company is developing aims to solve the issues preventing this adoption.

Ross Digital plans to launch 10 robots and ramp up annual production to 50 to 100 robots within five years. The first prototypes will be ready within 12 months and will be deployed at selected hawker centers in Singapore.

The new tech will be exported to the US and Europe, where there has been an acute shortage of manpower in the F&B sector. To do so, Ross Digital will be working with its existing partner, German robotics manufacturer Kuka.

According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, over 15,000 employees left the country’s F&B sector in 2020. In the UK, 28% of businesses in the industry reported experiencing worker shortages as of March 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Founded in 2017, Ross Digital creates robotic arms that serve different types of drinks. It also operates Ross Cloud, which powers its mechanical baristas.

The firm currently operates in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and China. In June 2022, it raised US$3 million in a series A+ round led by Fraser and Neave.

See also: Why SEA’s food bots are outshining Silicon Valley at the table

Currency converted from Singapore dollar to US dollar: US$1 = S$1.34.