At the celebration of the 79th anniversary of the National Police in Jakarta, the agency unveiled two experimental platforms for the first time: a humanoid robot designed for citizen interaction and a four-legged i-K9 capable of operating in disaster zones, detecting explosives, and identifying chemical leaks—a function it successfully demonstrated during the presentation.
Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo explained that the tests are part of the modernization program. The equipment purchase has not been approved yet; the project remains in the testing phase. Developers PT SARI Teknologi and PT EZRA Robotics estimate the base version of the i-K9 to be around three billion rupiahs (approximately 200 thousand dollars); the price of the humanoid model is kept secret.
The House of Representatives Commission generally supports the idea but demands calculations of efficiency and costs. The organization Indonesia Corruption Watch highlights the risks of opaque procurements and points out that the police had already requested an additional 63.7 trillion rupiahs for salaries and equipment.
If the tests confirm the stated features, the robots are planned to be used in search and rescue operations, demining, patrolling of dangerous areas, and traffic regulation. The police emphasize that new technologies will not replace officers but will reduce threats to their lives; the final decision will be made after the tests and public discussions conclude.
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