Insight Robotics

About Insight Robotics

Established in Hong Kong in 2009 by co-founders Kevin Chan and Rex Sham, Insight Robotics is a technology firm focused on proactive risk management for natural resources and infrastructure. Rex Sham, a robotics enthusiast and a 2008 computer science graduate from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, provides the technical vision, while Kevin Chan leads the business as CEO. The company offers solutions that generate and interpret data from robotic sensors to provide early-stage intelligence, enabling clients to mitigate threats before they escalate.

Insight Robotics primarily serves industries such as forestry, agriculture, and infrastructure asset management, with clients including government agencies and private plantation owners. Its business model revolves around providing end-to-end solutions, combining hardware sales with its proprietary software platform. The company has expanded its sales and marketing to key regions like China, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Americas. To fuel its growth and research, Insight Robotics has secured significant funding, including a $2 million Series A round in 2014 and a subsequent $9 million investment in 2018 led by Beyond Ventures and Linear Capital.

The company's core offering is its Wildfire Detection System, which integrates hardware and software components. The InsightFD robot is a dual-sensor unit equipped with thermal imaging and high-definition visible-light cameras that scan 360 degrees, 24/7. It can detect fires as small as two square meters from up to 15 kilometers away, operating effectively in various weather conditions. This hardware is powered by an AI-Engine for on-site edge computing, which uses machine learning to reduce false alarms. All data is transmitted to Insight Globe, a geospatial intelligence system (GIS) platform. This software provides real-time 2D and 3D maps, pinpoints fire coordinates, sends alerts to personnel, and warehouses historical data for risk analysis and mitigation planning. Beyond wildfire detection, the company also provides aerial survey services using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for applications like monitoring crop health and has adapted its thermal detection technology for public health screenings.