The humanoid robots will perform high-risk tasks such as firefighting, hazmat operations, and search and rescue missions. -- ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore's Home Team officers will work together with their robot counterparts when the latter are deployed as soon as by mid-2027.
The humanoid robots will perform high-risk tasks such as firefighting, hazardous materials (hazmat) operations, and search-and-rescue missions.
Initially, the robots will be controlled remotely by human operators, but are expected to be powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and deployed autonomously from 2029.
During autonomous deployment, AI will allow the machines to respond to different scenarios, with humans supervising and intervening only when necessary.
On May 26, four of these robots, which are being developed by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), were showcased at the opening of the AI TechXplore exhibition.
The two-day science and technology exhibition, held at Fusionopolis One, highlights HTX’s efforts to leverage AI to enhance Home Team operations.
The exhibition was held alongside the HTX career fair, Careers@HTX.
Three of the robots on display are about 1.7m tall, while the fourth is half a metre shorter.
HTX engineers built an exo-suit for operators to wear to control the smaller robot. Information from the exo-suit is transmitted to the robot, allowing it to replicate the operator’s movements in real time.
The operator also wears a virtual reality headset that allows him or her “to see” through the robot’s cameras to perform various tasks.
The event also saw the launch of Phoenix, HTX’s large language model (LLM) that was trained in-house and is familiar with the Singaporean and Home Team context, conversant in all four official languages in Singapore. Phoenix will be the brain of the Home Team’s AI capabilities.
Speaking at the event, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said S$100m (RM330 million) will be invested into the new Home Team Humanoid Robotics Centre (H2RC), which will be dedicated to developing humanoid robots intended for public safety.
It is the first such facility in the world, and is slated to become operational by mid-2026. It will feature zones for data collection, AI model training and robotics development, and will house high-performance computing resources.
Teo said: “Criminals are exploiting technology in ways never before imagined. As a result, law enforcement agencies, too, must understand how the technologies are being misused.
“But that on its own is not going to be enough. We must also have the capabilities to use the technology to fight crime, to do better for our people.”
The minister added that H2RC will push the frontiers of AI.
She said: “This initiative marks a fundamental shift in the development of robotics capabilities in the Home Team – from today’s pre-programmed systems to tomorrow’s Gen AI-powered intelligent platforms that can move, think, and act autonomously to protect and save lives.”
Ang Chee Wee, chief AI officer and assistant chief executive (digital and enterprise) at HTX, said the facility is a significant step forward for HTX’s AI strategy, as advances in robotics open up new possibilities for front-line support.
He said: “By putting humanoid robots in realistic environments, we can evaluate how AI can complement our officers, enhance safety, and support the long-term operational needs of the Home Team.”
The Home Team has used multiple robots over the years, with one of the earliest iterations of a patrol robot being used at large-scale events in 2018.
The pace of development and deployment quickened after the formation of HTX in end-2019, which helped develop the Rover-X robotic dog and the more recent cyborg cockroaches sent to Myanmar to assist in search-and-rescue efforts.
Drones are now also a common sight at large public events such as the recent political rallies, and help with both crowd control and other police operations.
The advent of humanoid robots looks set to further shape the security scene in Singapore, with security provider Certis announcing on May 19 that it, too, has received its first humanoid robot.
Dr Daniel Teo, director of the Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems Centre of Expertise at HTX, said he was looking forward to further harnessing the potential of robots for the Home Team.
He said: “Public safety operations require robotic systems that are adaptable and resilient. These AI-driven robots have a huge potential to enhance the safety and effectiveness of front-line officers.” - The Straits Times/ANN
