Is AI really replacing our jobs? At least for tour guides, it’s no longer a theory.
Because for the next one month, you can walk into Sentosa or Mandai Wildlife Reserve and be guided around by an AI-powered robot dog.
And yes, it’s free.
The robot dogs can actually talk to you
These robodogs are designed to function as multilingual guides. Not only that, they can hold simple conversations in English and Mandarin, respond to your preferences, and recommend what to do next based on what you tell them.
Sentosa turns the experience into a show
At Sentosa, the robodogs guide visitors through Sentosa Sensoryscape, a key connector between Resorts World Sentosa and the island’s beaches.
The guided tours are around 20 minutes long. During the tour, you walk, they talk, and they recommend nearby attractions tailored to you.
Guided tours run daily from 3pm to 5pm, and you’ll need to book a slot in advance.
However, Sentosa didn’t stop at just guiding.
Instead, they turned the robodogs into performers.
Five of them appear together in coordinated outfits for scheduled dance shows, three times a day. As a result, the experience feels more energetic and engaging.
You can also catch meet and greet sessions and roaming interactions happening around Sentosa Sensoryscape. Here are the timings:
Sentosa robodog timings
| Experience Type | Timing | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dance Performance | 2:00pm | ~5 minutes |
| Meet & Greet | 2:05pm | ~25 minutes |
| Dance Performance | 4:00pm | ~5 minutes |
| Meet & Greet | 4:05pm | ~25 minutes |
| Dance Performance | 5:45pm | ~5 minutes |
Mandai leans into surprise and interaction
Mandai Wildlife Reserve takes a slightly different approach.
Instead of structured tours, the robodogs show up across Exploria and Curiosity Cove, two indoor attractions built around immersive and family-friendly experiences.
Here, the robodogs act less like guides and more like interactive characters. They wave, perform tricks like somersaults, and appear unexpectedly within the space to create moments of surprise.
As a result, the focus shifts from navigation to engagement, especially for families and younger visitors.
