The Dubai police force known
for their use of expensive and luxurious cars for patrol and operations
have hit the media again with a striking debut of the world's first
robot police called the Robocop (for short). The Robocop has started its
duties as part of a new police program.
A
highly-programmed heavily-customized service robot from Pal Robotics is
to be deployed to malls and tourist centers so people can simply use
the touchscreen incorporated into its chest area to quickly report
crime, pay fines and obtain information.
"Now
most people visit police stations or customer service, but with this
tool we can reach the public 24/7 and it won't ask for any sick leave or
maternity leave," Brig Khalid Al Razooqi, Dubai Police director general
of smart services, said in a statement.
As
expected, cameras and sensors are all built in which are meant to
capture and transmit shots and videos back to the police control center.
However, media reports say the next series of robots would be deployed
to combat crimes, and also to carry heavy equipment.
It's customized to wear the look of a typical Dubai police officer. See pictures and video below.
The
Dubai also plan to robots until they reach around 25 percent of the
force by 2030, allowing the human members of the police to focus their
attention on other areas. This would go a long way in assisting to fight
crimes and perform other police functions. This is similar to what
Volvo has done with its autonomous refuse truck which drives itself and
thus assists the human driver to focus on waste bin collection rather
than jumping in and out of the cabin to move the truck from one
apartment to the other.