Science Centre Singapore has introduced six robots into its galleries to perform roles typically handled by staff, including guiding visitors and ushering.
The pilot gives visitors a chance to see how robotics can support learning and engagement in a public setting, while allowing the organisation to assess how the technology shapes visitor experience over time.
It also serves a more practical purpose of testing how robots operate in public-facing environments, where visitor behaviour is less predictable, and expectations around safety and usability are higher.
Running through November, the wheeled and humanoid robots are being used for wayfinding, audience engagement, and programmed segments such as a comedy skit titled My Colleague is a Robot Dog and a robot dog fire-fighting showcase.
The trial points to a broader question facing organisations exploring automation. Service sectors such as retail, healthcare and hospitality are under pressure to raise productivity while managing labour constraints. Robots are often positioned as part of the solution, but their value depends on whether they can function reliably and be accepted in everyday settings.
Public environments present a different set of constraints from those in industrial settings. Systems must respond to varied human interactions while maintaining consistent performance, raising practical considerations around navigation, safety and how they fit into existing workflows.
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The deployment is part of RoboFest 2026, a four-day robotics and artificial intelligence event running until April 12 that brings together a mix of public agencies, institutes of higher learning and industry players.
The event is supported by public agencies such as the National Robotics Programme, SGInnovate and AI Singapore, as well as institutes of higher learning, including the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP).
Industry collaborators such as Google Cloud x Google for Education, Duck Learning (a partner of LEGO® Education), and applied robotics partners including Weston Robot, Stellaris Robotics, and Stick’Em are also contributing workshops, demonstrations, and learning experiences throughout the festival.
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By placing robots in a public setting, RoboFest 2026 is designed to narrow that gap, making the technology more visible and easier to understand while giving operators a clearer view of how it performs outside controlled environments.
“There is often a gap between where technology is heading and where many people feel comfortable. RoboFest is designed to help close that gap by bringing robots and AI out of specialist spaces and into a public environment where families can discover, question and learn together,” says Tham Mun See, chief executive of the Science Centre Board.
