IntBot, a developer of embodied AI, has announced a strategic partnership with Certis, a Singapore-based intelligent operations company. This collaboration aims to develop and deploy socially intelligent humanoid robots for enterprise and public-facing environments across Singapore. The alliance will merge IntBot's advanced social intelligence technology with Certis' extensive experience in managing complex, mission-critical operations.
A Strategic Alliance for Physical AI
The partnership will focus on creating practical humanoid concierge and service-assistance applications for live operating environments. By combining their strengths, the companies intend to produce robots that can interact naturally and safely with people. This initiative addresses key requirements for reliability and effective service delivery in real-world settings where human-robot collaboration is essential.
This collaboration signals a significant industry shift, moving Physical AI from demonstration phases toward operationally viable deployments. For IntBot, the partnership serves as a crucial validation of its enterprise-ready platform and deployment model. It prepares the company to scale its technology across high-traffic public venues in Singapore and other international markets.
Redefining Human-Robot Interaction
According to IntBot CEO Lei Yang, the primary challenge for embodied AI is now human interaction, not just task manipulation. He noted a robot's value in public spaces is determined by its ability to engage people effectively. Yang identified Singapore's advanced smart infrastructure as the perfect environment to launch this next generation of Physical AI.
IntBot's technology enables its humanoid robots to operate autonomously by interpreting human intent and understanding social context. This allows them to move beyond pre-programmed scripts and respond dynamically in settings like hotels or conference centers. The system uses real-time multimodal perception to deliver reliable social autonomy that improves with real-world data.
Integrating Robotics into Real-World Operations
For Certis, this venture aligns with its broader "ops-tech" strategy, which seeks to create a unified model of people, processes, and machines. The company will lead in shaping use cases, operational workflows, and deployment requirements. This ensures the humanoid robots can effectively augment frontline teams and enhance service outcomes.
Raahul Kumar, a chief executive at Certis, stated the future of enterprise robotics depends on how naturally robots work with people. He emphasized Certis' role in transforming promising robotics into practical operating models. By integrating IntBot's social intelligence, they aim to create applications that support staff and simplify public interactions.
Practical Applications and Future Outlook
The collaboration will support a wide range of customer-facing applications, including wayfinding, visitor assistance, and multilingual customer service. These socially intelligent robots are intended for deployment across diverse sectors such as transit, hospitality, healthcare, and retail. The goal is to enable robots to become more adaptive and intuitive assistants in everyday environments.
Certis' expertise is highlighted by its recent appointment as a design partner for Singapore's robotics testbed in the Punggol Digital District. This reflects the company's commitment to moving robotics from controlled pilots into complex frontline operations. The partners are now preparing for initial pilot deployments in Singapore as the technology matures.
The partnership between IntBot and Certis marks a pivotal moment for integrating robotics into society. By combining cutting-edge social AI with proven operational excellence, this alliance is set to accelerate the adoption of humanoid robots. This collaboration paves the way for a future where robots can assist people in a more natural and intuitive manner.