Why are you participating for Based SEA?

Robotic Process Automation (RPA), which leverages robots to automate operations, has been widely adopted across various industry sectors. This trend is evident in the rapid growth of the global robotics market. Countries in Southeast Asia (SEA) are also actively participating in this industrial race. According to the eConomy SEA Report 2023, one of the key factors driving sustainable economic growth in the region is robotic automation. The SEA automation market is expected to surge, with projections estimating it will reach USD 17.7 billion by 2030🔥, fueled by an annual growth rate of 6.6% from 2023 onward.

SEA countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia are seeing increased adoption of robotics in industrial automation. Governments in the region are playing a pivotal role in this transformation by providing significant support, such as launching Industry 4.0 initiatives, offering tax incentives for robotics purchases, and investing heavily in the robotic automation sector.

🙋‍♂️ My Motivation & Connections in SEA

As a computer science and AI major residing in Malaysia, I've had the opportunity to engage in coffee chats with leading industry players, discussing the implementation of technology in their production lines and supply chains. This has been especially relevant to my university research, which focuses on supply chain technology and robotics integration. Leveraging my expertise and passion for Web3 technologies like Base, I’ve conceptualized an idea that combines Base blockchain technology with industrial robotics, potentially creating a paradigm-shifting solution in this space. This sparked my motivation to participate in Base SEA, where I’m excited to pitch my idea, gather invaluable feedback, and build meaningful connections within the broader community!

What challenges are you focusing on?

Industrial robotic automation in SEA are centralised, where many industries rely on Web2-based robotic infrastructures. They are operating with isolated data systems, creating a "visibility gap" that limits access to real-time operational data for stakeholders. As a result, workflow efficiency declines due to complex data integration processes that delay decision-making and create bottlenecks. The lack of transparency also complicates tasks like tracking production history or the origin of raw materials, even across connected facilities. In addition, Web2 systems are prone to security risks, such as tampering or counterfeiting, and vulnerable to single points of failure that can cause widespread operational disruptions.

💡 Our Solution & Inspiration

To address the current challenges, is to let current industries setup transition to a distributed data system that utilizes the Base blockchain. The concept is straightforward (😎 WE DEMO IT ON A ROBOT, WATCH OUR VIDEO~): first, a task is received on Base and processed on-chain. This task is then assigned to an industrial robot for execution. Once the task is completed, the robot logs an event on Base to record the operation. As a result, every action becomes traceable, verifiable, and resistant to tampering, significantly enhancing transparency and security throughout the process.
However, industrial robotic process automation (RPA) architecture is super complex, consisting of different components built with different environments and frameworks. It is challenging to connect everything to Base. Currently, we dont have any dev tooling on Base to facilitate the integration, requiring each industry to create their own custom middle layer for connection. Time and cost consuming. This is what becomes the inspiration! ⬇️

How does your submission address this challenge?

We are launching AutoBase as the first B2B Middleware-as-a-Service (MaaS) project to support industries in SEA in designing and developing custom API hubs that seamlessly connect their Robotic Process Automation (RPA) infrastructure to Base. AutoBase API Hub acts as a middleware, bridging the industry’s robotics automation systems with Base while interacting with smart contracts, on-chain assets, and third-party Web3 tools. Our solution is crucial as it significantly reduces the cost and time required for industries to transition from traditional Web2 robotic setups to Base’s Web3 infrastructure.

With AutoBase, industries can develop control systems or frontend for clients as decentralized applications (DApps) that utilize their custom API Hub to manage operations on Base. Their robotic fleets can execute assigned tasks and log their completion on-chain through the hub. Additionally, AutoBase allows for the integration of monitoring systems, analytics tools, and security components with Base. Hence, industries have maximum flexibility in shifting their robotic automation pipeline to Web3, whether partially or fully, depending on the nature and end goal.

🏆Key Advancements We Achieved on Base:

⭐ Easy Onboard of Industry Clients Coinbase Smart Wallet
⭐ System Interface Built with Onchain-Kit
⭐ ERC1155-based Inventory System
⭐ Human Operators Approvals with Multi-Signatures
⭐ Robot Load Balancing on Base with Chainlink VRF
⭐ API calling in smart contract on Base with Chainlink Functions
⭐ Log Tracking on Base with Chainlink Upkeep
⭐ Connecting Base to Industry-Grade Robot Simulators
⭐ Interacting with Local Robotic Fleet on Base via Tunelling and Messaging Protocol
⭐ Sensitive Data Handling on Base with On-Off Chain Hybrid Approach

Challenges I ran into

In the Based SEA hackathon, our team successfully delivered the AutoBase prototype, overcoming key challenges. Here, we outline the future obstacles we anticipate and how we plan to use the funding to address them post-hackathon.

⚔️ Integration Challenges (Technical)

Cross-Industry Integration: AutoBase targets multiple sectors, each with unique robotic automation frameworks and architectures. Connecting these systems to the Base blockchain is resource-intensive. To onboard more industries, we aim to introduce Web3 dev tools ecosystem for industrial robotics, an area where Base currently lacks support. While this will be a gradual process, it's key to speeding up integration and driving adoption.
Data Privacy and Security: Handling sensitive data on a public blockchain is a major concern. While our current prototype uses an on-off chain reference solution, we are exploring on-chain encryption and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) for better scalability and security.
Scalability: Base’s Layer 2 solution offers improvements in speed and cost, and we already use off-chain methods to reduce traffic. Moving forward, we’ll research architectures like microservices, event-driven, and cloud-based systems to enhance AutoBase's efficiency.

⚔️ Adoption Resistance (Non-Technical)

Although AutoBase offers significant benefits, industries are often resistant to adopting new, complex technologies like blockchain, especially when their operations rely on highly reliable robotic systems. To address this, our team will focus on pilot programs, education, training, and demonstrating ROI to build client confidence. We plan to roll out the project in phases to showcase value before scaling up. Additionally, collaborating with industry partners and integrating with their existing systems offers a resource-efficient approach to adoption.