The Dubai Police is welcoming the latest memeber to its squad today with the introduction of the world’s first autonomous “Robocop”. With no need for a visa, medical insurance or 22-days of annual leave, the 170cm-tall officer is ready to engage with Dubai’s residents and millions of tourists.
After previously rolling out prototypes, the first robot policeman has been introduced at the opening of the country’s Gulf Information Security Expox (GISEC) at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Despite the film-referencing name, the robots look more like a mix between R2D2 and C3PO than actual Robocop.
The Chinese-built andriod is 1.7m tall and can is equipped with an “emotion detector” that allows it to recognise gestures and hand signals from up to 1.5m away.
The Robocop can also detect a person’s emotions and facial expressions – whether the individual is happy, sad, or smiling – and has the ability to change his expression and greetings accordingly to put people at ease.
When patrolling the streets, the Robocop which harnesses Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and the latest smart technologies, can use its facial recognition software to help police officers identify and catch offenders, as well as broadcast live video feeds.
The city of Dubai continues to invest heavily in positioning itself as a world leader in ‘smart city’ technology. The enrollment of E-Patrol Robot Sheriff will see it among one of the first cities to introduce robots to serve for public convenience, order and safety.
Brigadier Abdullah Bin Sultan, Director of the Future Shaping Centre of Dubai Police, said: “We are looking to have more robots in future to handle policing. By 2030, we are keen to make robots around 25 percent of the total police force,”
This is not the UAE’s first flirtation with a science-fiction future, as the Emirates have been open about testing prototypes of flying taxis, and high-speed hyperloops between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Dubai’s police robots are expected to be part of wider implementation of smart police mechanisms which will include smart police stations and further development of artificial intelligence to keep the city safe in the near future.
