Autonomous wheelchairs, robotic arms, and a glimpse of the future: Inside Changi Airport’s T5 vision

SINGAPORE: With a quick tap on a phone, help arrives. An autonomous wheelchair rolls up quietly, ready to guide seniors or passengers with reduced mobility across what will one day be the vast halls of Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 (T5). Nearby, robotic arms calmly hoist heavy suitcases—some weighing as much as 35 kg—taking the physical strain off baggage handlers who do this work day after day.

These glimpses of the future are now on display at T5 ‘In The Making,’ an exhibition at Terminal 3’s arrival hall running from Jan 6 to March. More than a showcase of technology, the exhibition invites visitors to step into the story of how Changi Airport is preparing for its next chapter.

The journey unfolds across five immersive zones. It begins on a personal note: Visitors receive a “boarding pass” printed with their own name before being welcomed by a towering 2.7-m tall animated globe. The visuals tell a simple story—air travel in Asia is growing fast, and Singapore needs T5 to keep pace.

As visitors move on, they trace the decades-long land reclamation efforts that made today’s airport possible and meet the people who helped build it. A sweeping curved-screen video then brings T5 to life, imagining airy spaces filled with greenery, new technologies woven into daily travel, and areas designed not just for transit but for people to gather and connect.

In one segment, the scale of the project truly sinks in. The terminal alone will stretch across an area comparable to Chinatown through Raffles Place, envisioned as a collection of “neighbourhoods” sheltered under one massive roof—almost like a small city within Singapore.

The technology zone shows how that vision might work in practice. Visitors can see autonomous wheelchairs, robotic arms for baggage handling, self-driving baggage vehicles, and intelligent systems that help airports stay ahead of flight delays.

One such system, Airport 360, is already being tested at Terminals 2 and 3. Using artificial intelligence and computer vision, it keeps an eye on ground activities like refuelling, catering, and baggage unloading. By learning from three years of past data, the system has helped teams spot potential delays earlier and improve on-time performance for up to 200 flights.

Autonomous wheelchairs on display are also undergoing small-scale trials, part of broader efforts to make future travel easier for an ageing population. Together, these ideas point to how Changi Airport is preparing for challenges ahead—from manpower shortages to more extreme weather.

The experience ends on an imaginative, hands-on note. Visitors can design digital murals by choosing features they hope to see in T5 and pore over a detailed scale model of the upcoming mega terminal. Along the way, they collect embossed stamps of Changi’s Buddy Bear mascot, marking each stop on their personalised journey.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong broke ground on T5 in May. When completed in the mid-2030s, T5 and the wider Changi East development will nearly double the airport’s size and raise annual passenger capacity by more than 55%, from 90 million to 140 million.

Speaking during a media tour on Jan 2, Mr Ong Chee Chiau, managing director of Changi East at Changi Airport Group, said the exhibition was meant to help people connect with the project.

“With construction now in full swing, we hope this excites the public about what’s taking shape and sparks imagination about how T5 will change the way we travel and shape Singapore’s future,” he said.

Registration for T5 In The Making is open on the exhibition’s official website. Each slot allows entry for up to five visitors, with walk-ins welcomed if space permits.