World's second-richest nation to deploy humanoid robots for police, prison work by 2028

The plan was announced as Singapore opened the Home Team Humanoid Robotics Centre (H2RC) in its one-north technology district on Sept. 30 to develop and train humanoid robots for public safety operations.

Some S$100 million (US$78 million) has been committed to the 29,000-square-foot facility, which is run by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), The Straits Times reported.

It is the first center dedicated specifically to humanoid robotics for public safety, according to Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong. "Our goal is clear: we aim to have the first humanoid robot working alongside Home Team officers in a real operational setting, performing defined tasks safely and reliably by 2028," Tong said in a speech published by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

An HTX humanoid robot being trained by a human teleoperator. Photo courtesy of HTX

Four humanoid robots under development were demonstrated at the center's opening, according to Channel News Asia.

Potential uses include handling, containing and sampling hazardous materials for the Singapore Civil Defence Force, reducing officers' exposure to dangerous substances. The robots could also assist police after explosions by entering unstable areas to retrieve evidence, where officers could face risks from secondary explosions or structural collapse.

One robot demonstrated at the center can kneel to collect objects close to the ground, a capability HTX said is beyond commercial off-the-shelf humanoids. Other potential jobs include searching prison cells for contraband and restocking emergency medical supplies in ambulances.

The human-like form allows the robots to work in environments designed for people and use existing tools without requiring those surroundings to be redesigned. They are being developed with embodied AI, which allows machines to perceive their surroundings, reason and act in changing real-world environments instead of relying mainly on pre-programmed instructions.

The center will also develop agentic AI, which could allow robots to carry out multi-step missions, recover from failures and adapt to changing conditions.

HTX said specialized training is necessary because most commercial humanoid development focuses on manufacturing, industrial automation and household tasks rather than public safety. Robots intended for emergency operations need to be trained using data from realistic public safety scenarios.

HTX and Singapore-based ST Engineering also signed an agreement covering robotics research and development, technology integration and cybersecurity. Other collaborators include U.S.-based FieldAI, General Robotics and French AI company Mistral AI.

Singapore, which The Economist ranked as the world's second-richest country behind Switzerland based on 2025 GDP per capita, is pursuing greater use of robotics partly in response to its aging and limited workforce.

Tong said the machines are intended to augment rather than replace officers, taking on routine, physically demanding or dangerous work while humans focus on duties requiring judgment, empathy and leadership.