Yichang-built robots land in Singapore

By Chen Si.

Southeast Asia's first "Future Lab" for AI-driven chemistry opened in Singapore on November 18.

A*STAR IMRE visits Qingkui Zhizao (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.

The facility stems from a partnership among Qingkui Zhizao (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (QUIKTECH), A*STAR IMRE, and Suntar Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. QUIKTECH is a national hi-tech company focused on AI and robotics, with an office in Yichang's Dianjun District. This shipment marks the district's first overseas delivery of domestically developed intelligent research equipment.

Following a memorandum of understanding signed in May, the partners designed the lab with automated workstations integrated with a high-performance AI computing platform. QUIKTECH's intelligent-chemistry system features two six-axis robotic arms that load reagents, pipette, and dispense without human interaction. The system runs 800 experiments daily, equivalent to the output of about 40 PhD students, with an error rate below 2%.

A*STAR, Singapore's largest research agency, constructed a new suite specifically for the unit. The project demonstrates that an "AI + Robot + Simulation" framework can seamlessly integrate into a top-tier overseas lab, providing Southeast Asia with a model for digitizing science.

Pi Yajie also contributed to this story.