Police test ride-hailing robot to patrol Changi Airport T4 , Singapore News
This indoor robot, which was built to enhance police presence and improve officers' mobility, can also be used as a means of transport.
During the demonstration to the media on Wednesday (July 16), Gibson operated within Changi Airport Terminal 4 in its dual-mode operation — autonomous and ride.
The autonomous mode compromises of in-depth cameras, 3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) cameras and Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging) techniques that allow Gibson to determine its location, safely navigate the indoor environment and avoid collisions.
This indoor robot is also equipped with a "safety bubble" feature, which functions as a proximity detector. This means it can stop and sound a horn when it detects that someone is too close or obstructing its path.
On the other hand, the ride mode allows the robot to travel to an officer's location autonomously through a ride-hailing function.
This function is developed in-house by HTX, and it is especially critical for APD's Ground Response Force officers as it frees them to focus on incident response while enhancing mobility and operational readiness within the airport.
"Its autonomous mode will allow officers not to worry about having where to park Gibson, where it can continue to patrol in the airport without having to return to its designated parking lot," said Superintendent of Police Patrick Pang, an operations officer for planning and readiness from APD.
He also mentioned that the ride mode is designed to "allow officers to summon for Gibson without having to manually search for one".
Officers riding it will be able to travel large indoor areas, thus improving their incident response time. Human-robot collaboration
"Gibson was developed as part of our ongoing efforts in advancing human-robot collaboration where Home Team officers can team up with robotics systems to carry out patrol missions and to respond to incidents collaboratively," said Seah Qi Yan, an engineer from HTX Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems.
Gibson was developed through a collaboration with the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research.
HTX plans to move beyond traditional patrol robots that work on their own, aiming to build smarter, more connected robots that can react to their surroundings and take input from Home Team officers.
Gibson is not the first robot that has been used by the police in Changi Airport, but this is the first rideable one. It is not known when it will become operational.
When AsiaOne was invited to test out Gibson, we found the ride to be unexpectedly smooth. Although there were some shaky moments when approaching a turn, the robot handled it well.
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eriko.lim@asiaone.com
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AsiaOne
17 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Police test ride-hailing robot to patrol Changi Airport T4 , Singapore News
The Singapore Police Force's Airport Police Division (APD) and Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) have been piloting a new police patrol robot named Gibson since early July. This indoor robot, which was built to enhance police presence and improve officers' mobility, can also be used as a means of transport. During the demonstration to the media on Wednesday (July 16), Gibson operated within Changi Airport Terminal 4 in its dual-mode operation — autonomous and ride. The autonomous mode compromises of in-depth cameras, 3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) cameras and Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging) techniques that allow Gibson to determine its location, safely navigate the indoor environment and avoid collisions. This indoor robot is also equipped with a "safety bubble" feature, which functions as a proximity detector. This means it can stop and sound a horn when it detects that someone is too close or obstructing its path. On the other hand, the ride mode allows the robot to travel to an officer's location autonomously through a ride-hailing function. This function is developed in-house by HTX, and it is especially critical for APD's Ground Response Force officers as it frees them to focus on incident response while enhancing mobility and operational readiness within the airport. "Its autonomous mode will allow officers not to worry about having where to park Gibson, where it can continue to patrol in the airport without having to return to its designated parking lot," said Superintendent of Police Patrick Pang, an operations officer for planning and readiness from APD. He also mentioned that the ride mode is designed to "allow officers to summon for Gibson without having to manually search for one". Officers riding it will be able to travel large indoor areas, thus improving their incident response time. Human-robot collaboration "Gibson was developed as part of our ongoing efforts in advancing human-robot collaboration where Home Team officers can team up with robotics systems to carry out patrol missions and to respond to incidents collaboratively," said Seah Qi Yan, an engineer from HTX Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems. Gibson was developed through a collaboration with the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research. HTX plans to move beyond traditional patrol robots that work on their own, aiming to build smarter, more connected robots that can react to their surroundings and take input from Home Team officers. Gibson is not the first robot that has been used by the police in Changi Airport, but this is the first rideable one. It is not known when it will become operational. When AsiaOne was invited to test out Gibson, we found the ride to be unexpectedly smooth. Although there were some shaky moments when approaching a turn, the robot handled it well. [[nid:719449]]
Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ride-hailing robot on trial for airport police is 2-in-1 patrol robot and PMD
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The Singapore Police Force showcasing the hybrid human-rideable robot called Gibson, at Changi Airport Terminal 4, on July 16. SINGAPORE - A police patrol robot that doubles up as a personal mobility device (PMD) for officers is being trialled at Changi Airport Terminal 4. The autonomous robot, called Gibson, is outfitted with multiple cameras and sensors to help it avoid obstacles and people. Officers can also use it for transportation, to cover long distances at the airport quickly. The Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) developed Gibson in collaboration with the A*Star Institute for Infocomm Research. The trial began in early July. 'Gibson was inspired by the concept of creating a buddy robot for our officers,' said HTX engineer Seah Qi Yan, from the Ground Systems, Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems Centre of Expertise. 'They can use it as a PMD in their operations and transform it into an autonomous robot when not in use.' Gibson was developed to advance human-robot collaborations in the Home Team, Ms Seah added. Its ride-hailing function is a key feature that was developed in-house. Using their phone or tablet to access the robotics platform, officers can call for an available robot to meet them at a nearby pick-up point. While travelling aboard Gibson, they can select the autonomous function to reach their destination as they tend to other matters, such as reviewing incidents on their devices. Alternatively, officers may choose to drive it manually by using a physical key. Two of the robots were shown to the media on July 16 at Terminal 4. Each robot has a battery life of about four hours, and have safety features such as an automatic stop if someone attempts to get on it while it is moving . Attempts to block Gibson intentionally as it is patrolling will cause it to sound a horn. Named after inventor Arthur Hugo Cecil Gibson, who made the first motorised scooter in the early 1900s, it is the second type of police robot to be used at the airport. The first police patrol robots were introduced at the airport in April 2023, after more than five years of trials and smaller-scale roll-outs. Superintendent of Police Patrick Pang, an operations officer for planning and readiness from the Airport Police Division, said Gibson will complement existing police patrols and enhance police presence in the airport. He said: 'The ride-hailing function makes it convenient for officers to summon Gibson without having to manually search for one. 'And with the autonomous mode, our officers do not have to worry about where to park, as it can resume its patrols without returning to a designated parking lot.'
CNA
17 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore's Airport Police Division trials autonomous patrol robot that doubles up as transport option
SINGAPORE: Two scooter-like automatons marked with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) logo have been making the rounds at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 (T4) in recent weeks. These are not your typical cleaning or tray collection droids that you see at shopping malls, but actually new patrol robots being trialled in T4's departure area by the Airport Police Division. The robots, which have been on trial since early July, have two functions. They serve as autonomous patrol robots and also provide a 'ride-hailing' service for airport police officers. Officers can summon the devices to their locations, before riding on them to get to their intended destinations within the airport quickly. The GIBSON robot, named after the inventor of the first motorised scooter, Arthur Hugo Cecil Gibson, was developed by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) in collaboration with the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research. Both of GIBSON's functions were demonstrated to the media at T4 on Wednesday (Jul 16). The device stands at about chest height and has handlebars and a platform for riders to stand on. The operational speed of the robot will be determined during the trial period. The length of the trial, as well as which parts of the airport the robots will eventually be deployed in, have not yet been made public. In autonomous patrol mode, it stopped whenever people walked in front of it. It also made detours to an intended location if an obstacle stood in its way. GIBSON is equipped with cameras, 3D light detection, sound navigation and other features that allow it to determine its location and safely navigate indoor environments and avoid collisions, SPF and HTX said in a joint statement. In its "ride" mode, GIBSON can be used as a means of ride-hailing by officers. Using an internal phone application, officers can call the robot to come to where they are autonomously. An airport police officer showed how he could use the application to summon the robot, and subsequently boarded it to move around the airport using manual controls such as the handlebars. But not just anyone can ride it. To take control of the robot, an officer has to use a personal key. This ensures that members of the public cannot abuse or ride on the device. If a member of the public stands in GIBSON's way, it may also use a horn. "Officers riding the GIBSON can traverse large indoor areas swiftly, thereby improving incident response time while enhancing their mobility and operational readiness within the airport," said SPF and HTX. During the demonstration, CNA observed that the robot moved at about walking speed. Speaking to the media after, the Airport Police Division's operations officer for planning and readiness Patrick Pang said the ride-hailing function makes it convenient for officers to summon GIBSON without having to manually search for it. Mr Seah Qi Yan, a ground systems engineer at HTX's Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems Centre of Expertise, said GIBSON was a step up from robots that typically only conduct autonomous patrols. "We hope to create more integrated robotic systems that respond dynamically to both environmental cues and input from Home Team officers," said Mr Seah. The police in 2023 rolled out robots which cannot be ridden but can help patrol premises autonomously.
