Robot police officer goes on duty in Dubai
Dubai Police have revealed their very first robot officer, giving it the assignment of patrolling the city's tourists and malls vicinity. With this, it'll be easy to report crimes, pay fines and get information by tapping a touchscreen on its robot police chest as data retrieved from the robot will also be shared with the transport and traffic bodies.
The government said the vision is to make sure of 25% of the force to be robotic by 2030, but would not be replaced with humans. 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.
Most significantly, when it comes to tackling crime, the newly invented robot utilizes the internet, artificial intelligence and other digital technologies to spot violators using facial detections. Its navigation skills grant it the easiness to map out areas and travel on its own.
Equipped with a built-in tablet, this robot police officer can communicate with people, speak six languages, respond to public queries, and shake hands and even military salute. The robot, a customized Reem model from Pal Robotics, was unveiled at the Gulf Information and Security Expo and Conference.
A growing tourism hub in Dubai which attracted nearly 15 million visitors last year, has previously attracted media attention by parading expensive luxury cars as patrol vehicles.
Brig Khalid Al Razooqi, director general of smart services at Dubai Police mentioned that "We are not going to change our police officers with this tool,". "But with the increasing number of individuals in Dubai, we want to relocate cops so they work in the right areas and can focus on ensuring a safe and secure city.
"A whole lot of people visit police stations and customer service centers, but with this robot police, we can always reach the public at any time of the day. "It can secure individuals from crime consequences since it can broadcast what is happening right away to our command and control center."
At present, it can communicate only in Arabic and English, but there are plans to add Russian, Chinese, French and Spanish to its repertoire. A second Reem robot could join it on patrol next year depending on funding, the government in Dubai said.
The Government of Dubai is positive about the capability of future models taking a more concerning approach, announcing: "The first of its kind ‘robot police officer' in the country, versions of which will eventually be used to track down suspects and nab parking fee dodgers."
Dubai government stated that there are more root police officers to come:
"There are plans in the next couple of years for the world’s largest robot, which can run at 80kph.
The 3-meter tall robot will carry heavy equipment and will be maneuvered by a police officer seated in a cabin inside.
May come in an egg-shaped structure and will be positioned in parking areas to issue warning about traffic violations, and self-driving motorcycles could also be sent out."