The Indo-Pacific’s role in robotics and remote operations

By Dharshun Sridharan

Robotics and remote operations are increasingly two sides of the same coin, with autonomous machines allowing humans to project their reach across vast distances. Historically, however, these fields have had high barriers to entry – requiring significant expertise, capital, and infrastructure that only a few nations or industries could afford. Today, advances in intelligence and autonomy are lowering these barriers, enabling a broader range of players to innovate. Why? Robots are becoming easier to program, more versatile, and more cost-effective, therefore making robots a more practical investment.

This means even smaller countries and companies can participate, creating a democratised access to robots that fuels a growing ecosystem. The result is a landscape that is competitive yet collaborative –competitive in that many Indo-Pacific nations are racing to develop cutting-edge robotics and remote systems, yet inherently collaborative because sharing technology and expertise accelerates progress for everyone.

The convergence of artificial intelligence with robotics is a key factor shrinking the hurdles to adoption. Smarter, more autonomous robots reduce the need for constant human supervision, making remote operations more feasible and cost-efficient. AI-driven solutions are providing tools and resources that bridge the automation divide, ensuring organisations of all sizes can benefit. In other words, a robot that can think and adapt on its own – navigating obstacles, adjusting to new tasks – and doesn’t require the highly specialised, hands-on control that older systems did.

Crucially, collaboration has become a hallmark of this new era. Not only are collaborative robots working safely alongside humans, but companies and nations are collaborating to leverage each other’s strengths. The Indo-Pacific region exemplifies this trend, where shared challenges and opportunities are bringing countries together in the pursuit of advanced robotics.

Indo-Pacific Ambitions and Constraints

Nearly every Indo-Pacific nation recognises the strategic and economic importance of robotics and remote operations, especially for space applications – whether it’s explicitly mentioned or not. From satellite servicing to lunar exploration, autonomous systems will be the workhorses of the new space age. Most Indo-Pacific countries are eager to mature and deploy these technologies, seeing them as keys to national innovation and security. Indeed, major regional powers like Japan, China, India, and emerging players like Indonesia, have all developed space capabilities. Nations such as South Korea are global leaders in Earth-based robotics – South Korea leads the world in robot density with over 1,000 robots per 10,000 workers – and are investing heavily in AI and autonomous systems. Even smaller states are contributing unexpectedly, including little known entities such as Sri Lanka.

Yet, there is a clear gap when it comes to spacerated robotics. Many regional players have strong capabilities in Earth-based robotics and remote operations, but “space hardening” – the process of preparing technology to withstand the harsh radiation, vacuum, and temperature extremes of space – remains a major hurdle. Building electronics and machines that can survive cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures is no trivial task.

To put it simply, a robot that works fine in a lab or factory on Earth might fail within minutes in orbit or on the lunar surface. This is where many Indo-Pacific nations face economic, geopolitical, and resource constraints. Developing, testing, and space-hardening robotics requires facilities and budgets often beyond the reach of any single country (especially smaller economies). Even larger nations find it costly and resource-intensive to go it alone in space. Geopolitics plays a role as well –trust and technology-sharing between neighbours can be delicate, and not everyone has access to the same partnerships or supply chains. All these factors beg the question: What should be the Indo-Pacific Operating Model for robotics and remote operations?

A “Competitive yet Collaborative” Operating Model for the Indo-Pacific

The answer lies in forging a “competitive yet collaborative” operating model, where nations leverage their individual strengths as part of a regional ecosystem. In such a model, competition spurs innovation – each country strives to advance its robotics and autonomous capabilities – but collaboration ensures that successes are shared and multiplied. We can imagine a framework in which design and development of robotic systems happens across various countries (for instance, South Korea’s world-class robotics firms develop hardware and AI, while talented engineers in India or Singapore work on software and algorithms).

These components and ideas could then be brought together through joint projects or consortia, rather than isolated national efforts. Crucially, the final stages of delivery – systems integration, simulation, and spacehardening – could take place in a regional hub where the environment and infrastructure best support it. This is where Australia emerges as a key player.

Australia may not yet boast the most advanced home-grown space robotics programs, but it offers something unique: an ideal testbed and proving ground for robotics and remote operations. The country’s geographical and environmental advantages are unparalleled in the Indo-Pacific. Australia's vast, unpopulated landscapes and extreme climates—from the scorching red deserts of the Outback to the frigid expanses of its Antarctic territories—and its remote interior spanning enormous distances collectively mirror the harsh conditions that robots might face in space. For example, Rio Tinto’s Remote Operations Centre in Western Australia, controls automated trucks and trains at mines “from thousands of kilometres away”, a feat of logistics and technology. This expertise in managing robots over long distances can directly translate to operating rovers on the Moon or teleoperated systems in orbit.

Furthermore, Australia’s proximity to Antarctica gives it access to one of the most Mars-like environments on Earth. Australian-led teams have been testing robots in Antarctica’s icy, remote conditions as analogues for space missions. In one instance, NASA partnered with the Australian Antarctic Program to trial an under-ice rover beneath Antarctic sea ice – technology that may someday search for life on icy moons. Australian researchers note the parallels between maintaining Antarctic research stations and future lunar bases. In both cases, humans are operating in isolated, hazardous conditions where robots can shoulder much of the routine work.

By serving as a testbed for such extreme-condition robotics, Australia helps develop machines and procedures that are space-hardened – or at least a big step closer to it.

The Region’s Ideal Proving Ground

Australia’s role as a proving ground is being further enhanced by its growing launch capabilities. After a long hiatus, Australia is re-entering the space launch arena thanks to new commercial spaceports and international partnerships. In June 2022, NASA conducted the firstever commercial space launch from Australia, flying a rocket from the remote Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The location proved advantageous: The “dry Australian landscape and its closeness to the equator offer optimal conditions for space launches”, providing stable air and a near-equatorial boost that even some U.S. sites lack.

But what does this mean for robotics and remote operations? It means Australia can take a prototype robot, developed and perhaps first fielded in South Korea or elsewhere, and be the place where it’s pushed to its limits before heading to space. Think of a sophisticated lunar rover or orbital repair drone built through a pan-Indo-Pacific effort – Australia could host the systems integration phase (bringing together subsystems from different countries), run the simulation and field trials in its deserts or coastal waters, and then conduct the final space-hardening tests. Some of these tests might involve actual launches – for instance, sending the robot on a suborbital flight or to the International Space Station via an Australian launch vehicle – to see how it performs beyond Earth. By doing so, Australia would provide something most of its regional neighbours lack: A one-stop shop to find out if a technology that works on Earth is truly ready for the space environment.

International collaborations are already tapping into Australia’s testing grounds. NASA, for example, has sent its Valkyrie humanoid robot to Western Australia to develop remote operations for offshore facilities, an initiative that serves dual purposes: Improving safety in oil and gas sites while preparing robots for lunar base maintenance. By operating Valkyrie in Western Australia, NASA hopes to learn how to better design robots for work in dirty and hazardous conditions, like those found on the Moon. In other words, Australia’s challenging environments are directly helping space agencies harden their robots for extraterrestrial duty. By positioning itself at the final stages of delivery for robotics and remote systems – the integration, testing, and space-hardening phase – Australia could be the key to unlocking the Indo-Pacific’s collective potential in space. Countries like South Korea, Japan, India, and others can continue to advance robotics for factories, hospitals, and military uses on Earth, knowing that when it comes time to take the leap into space, they have a partner equipped to validate and toughen their creations for the cosmos. Meanwhile, Australia gains access to the latest technologies and know-how, boosting its own capabilities. It’s a symbiotic relationship: As Indo-Pacific nations mature their Earth-based robotics, Australia provides the launchpad (literally and figuratively) to turn those into space-rated assets. This cooperative pipeline means no single nation has to bear the full burden or expense alone.

An Indo-Pacific Operating Model starts to take shape – one where, for example, South Korea’s advanced manufacturing of robots, Sri Lanka’s burgeoning tech talent, and Australia’s testing and launch infrastructure are all pieces of a larger puzzle. Each nation remains competitive in its niche, but they come together in a collaborative ecosystem to achieve what none could accomplish in isolation.

The Indo-Pacific has an opportunity to truly leverage Australia’s unique strengths – its harsh environments, vast distances, and now its space infrastructure – to propel the Indo-Pacific’s robotics and remote operations capabilities to orbital heights. The next generation of rovers, drones, and autonomous systems that will explore the Moon and beyond could very well be a joint Indo-Pacific effort, assembled from many sources but proven on Australian soil.

Such collaboration would unlock tremendous value: Indo-Pacific nations would overcome economic and technical constraints by sharing the load, and Australia would solidify its role as a regional leader and innovator. The challenges of space are too great for lone actors, but together a “competitive yet collaborative” Indo-Pacific can turn ambition into achievement. By embracing a regional Operating Model with Australia as the final proving ground, the region can accelerate the maturation of robotics into space-rated capabilities, ensuring that when humanity’s robots do reach for the stars, the Indo-Pacific is leading the charge.