June 3, 2025

About Us and Our Work

NEC Laboratories Singapore (NLS) is an applied research lab with a good mix of talents such as solution architects, software and system engineers, researchers, data scientists, and UX architects and designers to cover the end-to-end process of creating world-class AI solutions. NLS focuses on co-creating new AI/GenAI solutions with government and enterprise customers in the APAC region that aim to address social issues and improve efficiency in areas such as public safety, healthcare/eldercare and others.

One of our key activities is to conduct trials with customers to evaluate/validate the effectiveness and value of new solutions. Using human-centered design approach and agile development processes, we drive towards successful outcomes by satisfying stakeholders’ expectations through iterations of experiments. And because of this, we have created a facility, we call it the Advanced Centre for Experimentation (ACE) in Nucleos (One-North) as our base to not only carry out the research and experiments, but also a place where we can invite customers/partners to come and see and experience our technologies/solutions, and also a facility to conduct co-creation workshops with customers and to test the resulting technologies/solutions.

Our Focus Technologies and Capabilities

Biometrics, Video Analytics and LiDAR Sensing – remains to be important technologies for many of our solutions esp. in areas such as identity authentication, public safety and security, and supporting the digitalization and automation effort of the government agencies and enterprises to improve productivity and efficiency, yet with limited manpower.

AI/Generative AI – have become the cornerstone technology and focus areas for NLS going forward for many of our new solutions due to its potential and rapid advancement in recent years. Starting from 2024, we have created several solutions leveraging on the technology and are continuing to discover new use cases and solutions with our customers.

Conceptualization and Rapid Prototyping – are critical skills and capabilities of the NLS team acquired and built over the years for building new solutions through testing new ideas/solutions leading to commercialization.

Our Solutions

AI Concierge/Companion – combining various AI technologies and Large Language Models (LLM), and fronted with Digital Avatar technologies, the solution is capable of engaging users in a goal-driven conversation and respond intelligently in topics base on the knowledgebase that is provided. This solution serves as the seed for many Use Cases targeted for different customers/segments, e.g. from an AI Concierge in museums to engage visitors and providing recommendations for personalized tours to an AI Companion that is capable of supporting the emotional needs of elderly by having conversations with them and checking on their health thru triaging and connecting them to essential services or with family members, etc.

Vehicle Optimal Car Position Guidance with Edge-based Video Analytics – using our very own edge-based VA platform (eVAIO), that is capable of running VA solutions on multiple edge hardware, and new innovative one-camera solution to guide drivers visually at the vehicle clearance bay to the spot that is optimal for the biometrics cameras to authenticate all passengers in the vehicle of different makes/models. The solution allows fast and swift in-vehicle passengers clearance at checkpoints to reduce the queue and waiting time for border crossing.

Multi-modal Sensing for Fine-grained Person Tracking for High Security Compounds – combining NEC’s Facial Recognition, Gateless Access and other advanced Video Analytics technologies, the integrated solution is capable of monitoring and tracking visitors in high security compounds from check-in to the destination and then back to check-out, without the need for human escorts. LiDAR sensing can also be deployed to track movements of people anonymously to provide situation awareness and insights for the safety and efficiency e.g. in airports.

Automated Rooftop/Building Inspection – using image analysis and LLM/VLM technologies, the solution is capable of analysing images of building rooftops (captured by drones) for conditions such as rust, cracks and holes, etc., and then to summarise the results and generate the report automatically with little or no human intervention. The solution can potentially reduce the time needed to create an inspection report from 2 to 4 weeks to 1 day, which is a vast improvement in productivity.

Our Visions and Goals

We aim to become the most advanced applied research lab and a trusted technology partner in the region that creates innovative and technically competent AI/GenAI solutions jointly with our customers from governments and enterprises using NEC’s AI technologies. We aim to have these solutions create new value for our customers’ organizations, improving the efficiency of their operations, and thus providing a safer and higher quality environment for the society where everybody can live to their fullest potential.