Home Team aims to deploy first humanoid robot alongside officers by 2028

Singapore's Home Team could have humanoid robots working alongside officers in real-world operations by 2028, taking on routine, physically demanding and dangerous tasks.

Announced by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), the Home Team Humanoid Robotics Centre (H2RC), a new 29,000 sq ft facility launched on Wednesday (Sept 30), will serve as a testbed for developing and training AI-powered humanoid robots for public safety operations.

The centre was launched by Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong, who said technology is increasingly important as Singapore faces manpower constraints and a more complex operating environment.

Speaking at the launch, Tong said Singapore's ageing workforce and limited manpower pool meant the Home Team "cannot solve this with sheer numbers alone".

He added that the country's dense, high-rise and increasingly underground environment also means emergencies can unfold in tight spaces with little margin for error.

"Technology must be an integral part of the answer," he said, describing it as a necessary "force multiplier" for the Home Team.

Robots could respond to chemical leaks, assist in investigations and conduct prison checks

The humanoid robots are being developed to work in environments designed for humans, allowing them to potentially use existing tools and navigate spaces without requiring major changes to the surroundings.

One potential application is responding to hazardous materials incidents.

Currently, HazMat officers may have to enter a chemical leak site to take samples and shut valves. In future, a humanoid robot could identify the source and help contain the spill, reducing officers' exposure to dangerous substances.

The robots are also being explored for forensic investigations following explosions.

Instead of forensic officers entering unstable debris where there could be a risk of a secondary device or structural collapse, humanoids could potentially be used to recover evidence.

Other applications include conducting routine prison cell searches and yard checks, freeing officers to focus on inmate engagement and rehabilitation.

'Augmenting our officers, not replacing them'

Tong stressed that the aim is not to replace Home Team officers.

"The robot takes on the routine, physically demanding, or dangerous work," he said.

"Our officers focus on the work that calls for empathy, judgement, and leadership."

He said the goal is to augment officers, not replace them, allowing them to perform their duties more safely and effectively.

H2RC is the first centre of its kind dedicated specifically to humanoid robotics for public safety, according to HTX.

The centre will serve as a testbed and collaboration platform where Home Team departments, industry partners, universities and research institutions can develop and test robotics solutions.

Its facilities include physical mock-ups of public safety environments, as well as systems for motion capture, teleoperation, human demonstrations and simulation to generate training data.

Training humanoid robots for Singapore's unique needs

The centre will focus on "Embodied AI", which allows robots to learn, perceive, reason and act in real-world environments.

HTX said commercial humanoid robot development is largely focused on manufacturing, industrial automation and household applications.

However, robots trained for factory floors would not necessarily know how to operate safely at an incident scene.

H2RC will therefore use public safety data and realistic operational environments to develop capabilities tailored to the Home Team's needs.

HTX said the development of humanoid robots will take place progressively, beginning with capability development before moving towards trials and validation.

Before any operational deployment, the systems will undergo testing to ensure they are cyber-secure, reliable and suitable for operational use.

The first humanoid robot is targeted to work alongside Home Team officers in a real operational setting, carrying out defined tasks safely and reliably, by 2028.

asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com

到 2028 年，新加坡内政团队可能会让类人机器人与警员一起参与实际行动，承担日常的、体力要求高的和危险的任务。

由内政科技局（HTX）宣布的内政人形机器人中心（H2RC）于周三（9月30日）正式启用，该中心占地29000平方英尺，将作为开发和训练用于公共安全行动的人工智能人形机器人的试验平台。

该中心由律政部长兼内政部第二部长唐振辉启动，他表示，随着新加坡面临人力限制和日益复杂的运营环境，技术的重要性日益凸显。

唐在启动仪式上表示，新加坡劳动力老龄化和人力资源有限，这意味着内政团队“不能仅仅依靠人数优势来解决这个问题”。

他还补充说，该国人口稠密、高层建筑林立且地下空间日益增多，这意味着紧急情况可能在狭小的空间内发生，几乎没有犯错的余地。

“科技必须是解决方案不可或缺的一部分，”他说道，并将其描述为主队必不可少的“力量倍增器”。

机器人可以应对化学品泄漏、协助调查和进行监狱巡查。

人形机器人正在被开发用于在为人类设计的环境中工作，使它们能够使用现有的工具并在空间中导航，而无需对周围环境进行重大改变。

一个潜在的应用领域是应对危险材料事故。

目前，危险品处理人员可能需要进入化学品泄漏现场采集样本并关闭阀门。未来，人形机器人可以识别泄漏源并协助控制泄漏，从而减少处理人员接触危险物质的风险。

人们还在探索利用机器人进行爆炸事故后的法医调查。

与其让法医人员进入可能存在二次爆炸或结构坍塌风险的不稳定废墟，不如使用人形机器人来回收证据。

其他应用包括进行例行监狱牢房搜查和院子巡查，使狱警能够专注于与囚犯互动和改造。

“扩充警力，而不是取代他们”

童强调，此举的目的并非取代内政团队的官员。

他说：“机器人承担的是日常的、体力消耗大的或危险的工作。”

“我们的警员专注于那些需要同理心、判断力和领导力的工作。”

他说，目标是增强警力，而不是取代警力，使他们能够更安全、更有效地履行职责。

据 HTX 称，H2RC 是首个专门致力于公共安全领域人形机器人的中心。

该中心将作为试验场和协作平台，供内政部各部门、行业合作伙伴、大学和研究机构开发和测试机器人解决方案。

其设施包括公共安全环境的物理模型，以及用于动作捕捉、远程操作、人体演示和模拟以生成训练数据的系统。

为新加坡的独特需求训练人形机器人

该中心将专注于“具身人工智能”，使机器人能够在现实世界环境中学习、感知、推理和行动。

HTX表示，商用人形机器人的开发主要集中在制造业、工业自动化和家庭应用领域。

然而，经过工厂车间训练的机器人未必知道如何在事故现场安全操作。

因此，H2RC 将利用公共安全数据和真实的运行环境，开发符合内政团队需求的能力。

HTX表示，人形机器人的开发将循序渐进，首先进行能力开发，然后再进行试验和验证。

在任何实际部署之前，这些系统都将接受测试，以确保其网络安全、可靠且适合实际操作。

第一个人形机器人计划于 2028 年在真实的行动环境中与内政团队官员并肩工作，安全可靠地执行既定任务。

asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com