Dubai’s First Autonomous ‘Robocop’ Begins Patrolling Streets

The world’s first operational Robocop started its tour of duty in Dubai – the first in the country's planned robot police force, The Robocop, five feet five inches tall and weighing 220 pounds, speaks six languages and reads facial expressions.

Residents can use the Robocop to pay fines or report crimes, and it also can transmit and receive messages from police headquarters.

With an aim to assist and help people in the malls or on the streets, the Robocop is the latest smart addition to the force and has been designed to help us fight crime, keep the city safe and improve happiness levels,

said Brigadier-General Khalid Nasser Al Razzouqi, Director-General of Smart Services with the Dubai Police.

Although it seems ambitious, some officers want to staff their police force with at least 25 percent of these robo-helpers by 2030. The robot rolls around on wheels and seems to be quite mobile which is good for the police force and the citizenry. On top of that, it can chat and interact with people and respond to public questions and offer salutes as well.

These models were unveiled at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition and are part of the plan to make a city that makes its own power. This concept itself is quite interesting but not something that it seems will be done soon. They believe that a city that generates its own power also needs a somewhat automated police force as well.

This project although incredibly ambitious does sound like it will improve the lives of many people and will revolutionize the current climate in Dubai. A city that generates its own power, however, seems long away science is advancing but not that fast to the point where something straight out of sci-fi would become a reality especially by 2030.

To be fair however it is said that technology passes exponentially now so maybe it might be, but for now, it seems very far off. However, the robocop does seem like it'd be easier to program and easier to implement than a city with self-producing energy. Hopefully, the robot will be put to good use and treated fairly by both the citizens and the police force.