As robots become more advanced to carry out complex tasks, they are set to be at the forefront of the next phase of Singapore’s goal to become a world-class artificial intelligence hub.

The city state hopes to position itself as a hub for “physical AI” – robots and autonomous systems that can clean buildings, deliver goods, patrol public spaces and eventually work in factories, hospitals and homes.

Singapore’s stable regulatory environment, strong digital infrastructure and experience deploying robots could give it an edge in developing and testing such systems in real-world environments, according to analysts.

In recent years, global tech giants have looked to Singapore as the forefront of the AI revolution in the region.

Singapore announced at the ATxSummit on Wednesday that Nvidia would launch its first research lab in the republic, its second in the Asia-Pacific region.

During his speech at the conference, Nvidia chief scientist William Dally said the lab would focus on enabling robots to handle more challenging tasks, such as assembling a car.