SINGAPORE, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Off the southern coast of Singapore, the resort island of Sentosa is known for its beaches, theme parks and luxury hotels. Now, this five-square-kilometer island is also becoming a testing ground for autonomous vehicles.
Beginning in early 2027, visitors will be able to book autonomous minibuses through a ride-hailing app, traveling between transport hubs, hotels and attractions across the island. The service is a collaboration between the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and ride-hailing platform TADA. The buses were developed by autonomous-driving company WeRide headquartered in Guangzhou, China.
At a media preview recently, journalists were invited to take a ride. Rain came and went throughout the day. The orange-yellow bus, shaped rather like a giant, uncut loaf of bread, moved steadily along the two-way road. It slowed for pedestrians and oncoming vehicles, and negotiated U-turns smoothly. Inside, a rectangular screen mounted near the front displayed a real-time, three-dimensional image of the vehicles and pedestrians detected in the bus's surroundings.
Each vehicle can carry up to eight passengers.
Sentosa's experiment with autonomous minibuses is not new. In July 2025, WeRide's vehicles were approved to operate on the island, with their service then confined to Resorts World Sentosa, an area covering 0.49 square kilometers. The new trial, scheduled to begin in early 2027, will cover the western side of the island, with plans to gradually expand to the rest of Sentosa.
For now, each bus will have a professionally trained safety operator on board. WeRide's International Business Director Nicholas Tey said the company may eventually move towards fully driverless operations, provided the vehicles pass the necessary tests and demonstrate that they can operate safely.
Thien Kwee Eng, chief executive officer of the SDC, said the organization hopes to turn Sentosa into a "living lab" for exploring new mobility solutions.
Sentosa is not the only place in Singapore where such experiments are under way. At the Punggol Digital District in the northeast, autonomous robots will be tested for deliveries, cleaning and security patrols. At the Jurong Innovation District in the west, autonomous construction equipment is being tested under real site conditions. Singapore also has maritime testbeds for trials involving autonomous vessels and marine drones.
Some of these experiments are taking place in spaces that people use every day. From late August to mid-September this year, a humanoid robot appeared inside the Little India MRT station. Standing 1.27 meters tall and wearing a fluorescent green vest, it could be approached by commuters looking for directions.
Other robots have already begun taking on everyday work. At Changi Airport, a piece of rubbish left on the floor may not stay there for long. Within minutes, a robot bearing a smiling face may glide towards it, accompanied by a low mechanical hum, and clean it up.
In residential buildings, robots are beginning to run errands, too. Lions Befrienders, a social service agency, has introduced an autonomous mobile robot in apartment blocks with relatively large populations of elderly residents. It can take the elevator on its own and deliver meals, medication and other items to designated households.
Some tasks take robots into places where people themselves may be exposed to danger. In September, Singapore officially opened the Home Team Humanoid Robotics Center, a facility for training robots to carry out public-safety operations. These include investigating explosion sites, handling hazardous liquids, and searching prison cells for contraband. The aim is to reduce the need for personnel to come into direct contact with dangerous situations. The authorities plan to deploy the first humanoid robot working alongside officers in a real operational setting by 2028.
According to a report published by the Singapore Economic Development Board this year, Singapore is now home to more than 300 robotics companies, working in research and development, application development and manufacturing. Their work spans industries including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, critical infrastructure, logistics and supply chains. ■
