The featureless law enforcer of the future. Image: YouTube/RT
From “RoboCop” to “Chappie”, science fiction works have long played with the idea of robots as police officers. That idea is being brought into reality at a mall in Dubai.
Manufactured by PAL Robotics, the new robot cop is part of an initiative laid out by Abdullah Bin Sultan, director of the Future Shaping Center of the Dubai police. Their aim is to “make robots around 25 percent of the total police force” by 2030, reports Konbini.
The robot police will be powered by artificial intelligence from IBM’s Watson supercomputer and will roam around offering services to the public. These include a means to report crimes, contact the police office directly, and pay for fines through the touch screen on its chest.
The unit currently deployed is also able to scan faces from up to 100 feet away.
With wheels as a means of moving around, the robocop won’t be chasing down wallet thieves any time soon. But it does offer a glimpse of how rapidly developing artificial intelligence will eventually integrate with our daily lives. Alfred Bayle/JB