Dubai's "Real Robocop" Starts Its Active Duty

Don't worry, no human police officers were harmed in the creation of these mechanical policemen. Though called "Robocop" to give their name a bit more weight and credibility, these are really more robot cops than cyborgs, all metal and computers inside. And these will be the robots that could make up a quarter of Dubai's police force by 2030. And though they currently only patrol the hallways of the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC), they will soon start their public service on streets.

Robotic policemen that have any form of semblance to their human counterparts are the stuff of science fiction and dreams. Dubai, however, has actually taken more concrete steps in turning that into a reality. Or a nightmare, depending on your outlook.

First unveiled in 2015, the robot stands at 5 feet 5 inches and rolls on wheels rather than walks. While it might be faster than having legs, this robot isn't going to chase baddies, at least not yet. The robocops are designed more for citizen assistance, with cameras and software that can read facial expressions as well as a built-in tablet for interaction.

That's not to say that the robot won't help fight crime, though it will be doing so in its own way. It can help citizens communicate with HQ and vice versa. It can even have functionality for people to easily pay fines.

Whether this Robocop will help deter crime or actually inspire a new robocide trend is yet to be seen when the units do get deployed on streets and popular areas in Dubai. The government plans to have these robots take up 25% of its police force, but it still has 13 years to figure all that out.

VIA: RT Viral