First robotic cop joins Dubai police force

Dubai police have enrolled a robotic officer into it's force to help identify wanted criminals and collect evidence, the first in a unit that aims to make up a quarter of the force by 2030. The robotic police will patrol busy areas in the city, as part of a government programme aimed at replacing some human crime-fighters with machines in the country.


If the "Robocop" experiment is successful, Dubai Police says it wants the unarmed robots to make up 25 percent of its patrolling force by 2030.

At 5ft 5in tall and weighing 100kg, it can speak six languages and is designed to read facial expressions.

"Our aim is to raise the number of robots to 25 percent of the police force by 2030," said Brigadier Khaled al-Razzooqi, head of Smart Services at Dubai police.

The robot, to be deployed mainly at tourist spots, is equipped with a camera that transmits live images to the operations room and it can identify suspects wanted by police and a computer touch-screen on its chest that can be used to report a crime or inquire about speeding tickets.

Clad in the colours of the Dubai Police uniform, and moving on wheels, the life-size robot, which can shake hands and perform a military salute, is the lighter side of a government plan to use technology to improve services and security ahead of Dubai hosting Expo 2020.

"These kind of robots can work 24/7. They won't ask you for leave, sick leave or maternity leave. It can work around the clock," said Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi.

The main purpose is to "find a new way to deal with people", said Razzooqi, while acknowledging that robots could not replace humans on tasks such as making arrests.

 

Dubai, a growing tourism hub attracts nearly 15 million visitors last year, and have previously attracted media attention by parading expensive luxury cars such as Lamborghinis and Ferraris as patrol vehicles.