Meet Olly: New humanoid robot to be trialled at Little India MRT station from Aug 31

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is trialling a humanoid robot named Olly at Little India MRT station on the Downtown Line from Aug 31 to Sep 11.

According to LTA's Facebook post on Thursday (Aug 20), the friendly new face will be roaming around the MRT station on weekdays during the two weeks, between 10am and noon.

It will guide commuters with wayfinding on the station platform and answer any questions about MRT lines and LTA.

The humanoid robot will also be accompanied and supervised by LTA team at all times.

It is being trialled to explore how AI-enabled technologies can support public transport operations and improve commuting experiences.

LTA said that commuters might spot Olly before his trial begins as he is currently undergoing mapping and testing to familiarise himself with the station environment.

This technology follows LTA's recent trial of facial recognition technology for fare payment earlier this month.

A modified gantry at Punggol Coast MRT station was part of a closed trial of facial recognition technology for fare payment, accessible only to a selected group of LTA and public officers.

Under the trial, a user's transport card is linked to the facial recognition system, allowing them to enter and exit through the gantry.

@asiaone The Land Transport Authority (LTA) shared that the trial aims to explore how AI-enabled technologies can support public transport operations and improve commuting experience for passengers. #sgnews #singapore #publictransport #robot ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Mixed reactions from netizens

Netizens responses to Olly are mixed, with some calling the development "exciting" while others point out its frightening appearance.

One Facebook user commented that the robot looks "scarier than the seventh month ghost" and another user added that it would be terrifying if they saw Olly "in the night, from far".

An Instagram user suggested adding a "skinny panel with a simple face" to make the robot "less creepy".

One comment responded to the criticisms saying: "Guys, please don’t hurt Olly’s feelings :("

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