Lost at Little India MRT station? From the end of August, you might be able to ask a robot for directions.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on 20 August that it will trial a humanoid robot named Olly at Little India MRT station on the Downtown Line.
And no, Olly will not be wandering around the station by itself.
You Can Find Olly on Weekday Mornings
The trial will run from 31 August to 11 September 2026.
Olly will be around on weekdays only, between 10am and noon.
Throughout the trial, the robot will be accompanied and supervised by LTA officers at all times.
So if you were imagining a robot independently patrolling Little India MRT at 2am, that is not what is happening here.
What Can Olly Actually Do?
Olly’s role during the trial is fairly straightforward.
It will provide wayfinding assistance on the station platform and answer questions about MRT lines and LTA.
In LTA’s video introducing the robot, Olly says it can guide commuters, help them find their way and answer questions about the rail system and LTA.
LTA said the trial is meant to explore how artificial intelligence-enabled technology could support public transport operations and improve commuters’ journeys.
You may also see Olly before 31 August. The robot is already undergoing mapping and testing at Little India MRT station so it can familiarise itself with the environment before the official trial begins.
LTA has asked commuters for patience and understanding while that testing takes place.
LTA Has Been Testing Other New Technology Too
Olly is not LTA’s only recent technology experiment.
Earlier in August, LTA confirmed that it was conducting a closed facial recognition fare-payment trial at Punggol Coast MRT station. Selected LTA and other public officers had their facial profiles linked to their SimplyGo cards, allowing them to enter and leave the station through a modified gantry using a facial scan.
For now, that trial is restricted to selected public officers, and LTA said at the time that there were no plans to expand it.
Humanoid robots at MRT stations have also been discussed before. At a Straits Times roundtable on 21 April, LTA deputy chief executive of infrastructure and development Yee Boon Cheow said humanoids could potentially assist at stations in 10 to 15 years, including with routine jobs such as patrols and answering simple questions.
For the upcoming Little India trial, however, Olly’s job is much simpler: help you figure out where you are going, while LTA officers remain close by.
