We take a look at the opening of an innovation hub at Singapore Changi and the airport’s use of robotic technology to carry out maintenance inspections in hard to get to areas for humans.
Changi Airport Group (CAG) has unveiled Terminal X – a vibrant innovation hub designed to bring together its partner innovators under one roof.
According to CAG, this dynamic space aims to “foster collaboration, spark creativity, and empower our teams to launch groundbreaking ideas that shape the future of travel”.
Terminal X features unique spaces like a makers’ lab, UI/UX testing facilities, and immersive storytelling chambers – all crafted to support and showcase Changi Airport’s continuous innovation journey.
It says: “With the opening of Terminal X, CAG is renewing its commitment to accelerating airport innovation and elevating the Changi Experience for its passengers.”
And as if to prove the point about innovation, CAG recently unveiled its own robotic creepy crawlies capable of squeezing through tiny gaps and overhead spaces to inspect a hidden network of wires and cables that link the entire airport together.
Officially called ‘Robot Crawlers’, the miniature machines – the smallest of which is about the size of a banana – can navigate areas beyond the reach of human technicians, and have been introduced to transform traditionally labour-intensive maintenance work into a workflow that is safer and more efficient.
Once inside, they perform visual inspections and hunt for structural issues such as sagging, leaks, or cracks, while transmitting high-resolution images back to the ground team. This enables faster problem-spotting and significantly reduces the time spent on
manual checks.
Talking about the success of the Crawler Robot to date, CAG’s senior manager of airport operations technology and corporate IT, Noordin Mohamed (NM), says: “Early trials with the Crawler Robot have reduced the need to open individual ceiling hatches by more than tenfold, thanks to its ability to travel long distances. This has saved significant man-hours, and lowered inspection costs. Plus, with fewer panels needing removal, safety is enhanced as the robot does the hard-to-reach work above.
“In addition, the robot has also been able to conduct close-up inspections from less than 10 centimetres out, allowing anomalies that might be missed by a human from a distance to be detected and addressed proactively.
“Since prototyping began in 2024, we have rolled out the Crawler Robot for trials in Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and other enclosed ceiling spaces across the airport, working closely with our facilities management team to optimise its integration into Changi’s operations. The eventual goal is for it to be deployed across all four terminals, supporting team’s company-wide with ceiling inspections and maintenance works.
“As the world’s first user of robots capable of traversing the spaces above ceilings, we are committed to developing more innovative solutions to tackle operational challenges.”
And there’s more as pioneering Changi recently unveiled a global first in airport innovation with FlightSaver Assurance on the Changi App, which automatically issues passengers with a S$10 Changi Transit e-Voucher if their flights are delayed by three hours or more.
Other features of the enhanced Changi App include live flight tracking, real-time destination airport info, and in-app travel insurance.
