Along the Dubai metro. Image: S-F/Shutterstock
One of the first cities to receive a ‘robocop’ is Dubai, where robot officers will soon begin patrolling the streets.
Dubai – a city filled with millionaires and some of the most lavish sights and establishments in the world – is to be home to some of the first ‘robocops’ deployed in the field.
According to the Khaleej Times, the city’s police force has recruited its latest member: a robot police officer. Weighing in at 100kg and measuring 170cm in height, the robot will patrol the city’s streets, offering advice to those who need it.
The robot was launched at the opening of the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference, and was then tasked with patrolling the event before being sent out into the city.
Its designers said it marks an ideal platform for internet of things and artificial intelligence technology.
The robot’s hardware will enable it to scan a person’s face to determine their emotions from up to 1.5 metres away, then changing its mood accordingly to help them.
In the event of a crime, its facial recognition software will record a criminal’s face and live-stream it back to police headquarters.
I’d buy that for a dollar!
“With an aim to assist and help people in the malls or on the streets, the Robocop is the latest smart addition to the force and has been designed to help us fight crime, keep the city safe and improve happiness levels,” said brigadier general Khalid Nasser Al Razzouqi, director general of smart services at Dubai police force.
“The launch of the world’s first operational Robocop is a significant milestone for the emirate and a step towards realising Dubai’s vision to be a global leader in smart cities technology adoption.”
Having debuted the robot back in 2015, Dubai police said it intends to have a quarter of its force comprising robots by 2030. Developers will begin working on a robot capable of performing the same role and having the same dexterity as that of a human police officer.
The city has already taken steps to launch a number of future technologies, having recently confirmed it will be one of the first places in the world to offer an autonomous flying taxi service in July.
