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From autonomous drones and patrol robots to Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered investigative tools, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is transforming the way it safeguards Singapore. At the Police Workplan Seminar 2026 at the Home Team Academy on 22 May 2026, the SPF unveiled a suite of new technologies designed to strengthen operational effectiveness, enhance frontline policing and better support officers in navigating an increasingly complex security landscape.
Developed in collaboration with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), these capabilities reflect the SPF’s continued efforts to build a future-ready Force through innovation and technology.
Unmanned Capabilities Across Air, Land and Sea
The SPF is progressively expanding its suite of unmanned capabilities across the air, land and sea domains. These systems enhance situational awareness, reduce operational risks and optimise manpower deployment by automating routine patrols and enabling remote operations.
In deploying autonomous systems, the SPF adopts a risk-based approach. More mature technologies operate autonomously and can be overseen by a single operator managing multiple systems simultaneously. For newer technologies, a human-in-the-loop approach remains in place, ensuring officers continue to make critical operational decisions and can remotely intervene when necessary.
Taking Policing to New Heights
The SPF's latest unmanned aerial platform – the Home Team SkyGuardian – is built for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, extending the SPF’s reach into areas with limited Police presence, such as industrial-maritime zones and remote locations with limited street camera coverage.
The drones support both pre-planned patrols and immediate incident response, providing real-time aerial intelligence and tracking. Equipped with modular payload systems that can be autonomously swapped via a robotic arm within the drone pod, the drones can deploy different operational tools based on mission needs. The payloads include high-definition thermal imaging cameras, emergency blinkers, searchlights and loudspeakers to support ground operations and public communication.
From May 2026, the drones began operating aerial patrols from eight drone pods located outside Singapore’s aerodromes, with operators at the Police Operations Command Centre providing remote oversight.
Strengthening Community Engagement Through Robotics
On land, the SPF is expanding its fleet of robots. CERA – the Community Engagement Robot Ambassador – marks the next step in the SPF’s humanoid robot programme, following the successful launch of CODY (Community Outreach BudDY) in 2023.
CERA goes beyond screen-based interaction, engaging the public through physical expressions, customised poses for photo-taking, a storytelling function and a two-way chatbot to deliver personalised safety messages and crime prevention demos.
From 2027, the SPF will progressively expand the deployment of Police patrol robots to more locations, including additional Changi Airport terminals and selected public transportation nodes.
In addition to existing capabilities such as 360-degree camera systems and extendable masts with integrated cameras, the patrol robots will feature touchscreen displays for public service announcements and automated external defibrillators for medical emergencies. Members of the public can also seek assistance from Police officers via the robots' video conferencing function.
Enhancing Maritime Security with Unmanned Surface Vessels
At sea, the Police Coast Guard is trialling an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) to support maritime patrols and support incident response operations alongside manned vessels.
Equipped with a Seaborne Electro-Optics System, 360-degree stereoscopic cameras, warning systems and two-way communication capabilities, the USV can operate fully autonomously in navigation, collision avoidance, anchoring and berthing.
Since March 2026, the USV has replaced one manned patrol twice a week, strengthening maritime surveillance and deterrence efforts across Singapore waters.
Harnessing AI for Policing Workflows
Beyond unmanned systems, the SPF is also working with HTX to develop AI tools that optimise Police processes – from the moment a report is lodged to post-investigation updates.
In traffic enforcement, the SPF is exploring TRACER, an AI-powered video analytics capability that automatically identifies traffic violations and pinpoints their exact timestamps within footage submitted by the public. This allows officers to process cases faster and notify offending drivers earlier, contributing to safer roads.
Developed to complement CRIMES3, the Investigator Co-Pilot features a suite of AI tools to assist Investigation Officers (IOs) in managing cases more effectively.
These tools include a Case Summariser, which synthesises information from sources such as 999 calls and report lodgings into a cohesive summary for quicker and more informed assessments; a Summary of Facts Generator that distils key evidence and investigative findings into a comprehensive summary at later stages of investigations; and a Case Recommender that aids officers in making fair and objective assessments by presenting corroborations and contradictions across investigation findings and aligning them with relevant frameworks.
For members of the public, the Report Lodging Co-Pilot (R-COP) is an AI-assisted chatbot that helps individuals lodge Police reports at self-help kiosks. By contextually prompting for relevant information, R-COP ensures critical details are captured upfront, reducing the need for follow-up calls from IOs. First rolled out at all seven Police Land Division Headquarters in October 2025, R-COP has since expanded to 21 more Neighbourhood Police Centres as of April 2026.
A Force Built for the Future
As security challenges evolve, the SPF remains committed to building a future-ready Police Force by investing in capabilities such as unmanned systems, AI, simulation technologies and advanced sensemaking systems.
These technologies empower officers to enhance frontline policing and deepen engagements with the community, keeping Singapore safe and secure in an increasingly complex world.
From Frontlines to Frontiers: Emerging Technologies, Enhancing Policing
Check out this video to learn more about the new tech capabilities showcased during the Police Workplan Seminar 2026.
