If you’re taking a trip to Dubai in the future, you may encounter a police officer that is not a human. The city is deploying the first-ever Robocop on May 24, 2017. Dubai’s police chief noted that the oil-rich city is aiming to have robots make up 25% of the police force by 2030.
From the waist up, the robot looks human-like with two arms that have actual fingers, a head, and two eyes. The eyes are actually cameras that scan a crowd for wanted individuals and make use of facial-recognition technology. While the top half looks rather humanoid, the bottom half is where the limitations of current technology are somewhat obvious: Rather than having legs, the Robocop has wheels.
Dubai police aim to have this automated process out in public, serving primarily as a community robot. While it’s not equipped to actually chase down wanted individuals, people will be able to use the robot to report crimes, ask questions, and pay fines. If its sensors detect that someone in a crowd is wanted by police, the robot can stream video and send it to human officers who can do the proper legwork.
The very first robot deployed will only be able to carry out simple orders this month, but that could quickly change as Dubai’s police force adds more to the squad. Police intend to have the robot patrol “high-density” areas of the city, more specifically in shopping centers and at tourist attractions, before they make their way to the police station to act as receptionists.
Via ExtremeTech
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