Spectators at last night's Chingay parade might have seen a blue, white and red robot roving the grounds among the crowd during the celebrations.
In its debut public showcase yesterday, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) patrol robot helped the police step up security efforts at Chingay 2018, which saw an estimated 100,000-strong crowd on its first day last night at the F1 Pit Building.
It was deployed after 8pm to patrol a 400m stretch at the end point of the parade.
The robot, which feeds 360-degree live video footage back to the command post with its six surround cameras, can be used to detect threats and suspicious characters.
Only one operator is needed to monitor its video feed on a tablet device. Officers can then make sense of the images and deploy forces accordingly, said Ms M. Malathi, assistant director of the SPF's strategic planning division.
The robot can also be used for crowd dispersal as its in-built speakers can broadcast audio messages to the public.
Following a pre-mapped route, the robot is able to avoid obstacles in its path.
This is the patrol robot's first trial by the SPF. If successful, it will be deployed in longer operations, such as during the Singapore Formula One event.
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100,000
Estimated number of people at last night's Chingay parade.
Those who damage the robot will be "dealt with under the law" as it is government property, said Ms Malathi.
She declined to comment on the cost involved to develop the robot - a process which took three months.
The SPF has at least two other robot prototypes in the works.
More information on this will be given in the police's annual Workplan Seminar.
The second day of the Chingay parade continues at the F1 Pit Building tonight.
