Dubai Police Department has launched a new mobile robotic police constable to help people with their queries in a bid to boost security presence in the country.
The first robot – accompanied by a real policeman – has been slowly rolling around one of the city state's malls in recent days helping people in several languages, says a report by Huffington Post.
According to software provided on the robot's chest screen, the public will be able to use the robot to report crimes, dial the police center, and also get local information. People will also be able to pay fines on the robot.
Dubai police say the robots will not replace their human equivalents any time soon, as they are not the fastest machine moving around. Videos of the robot show it rolls around at a maximum speed of 1km/h.
The city's police service says that the robots can be utilized as an extra resource for public use.
The first robots released by the city have been supplied by Pal Robotics, and weigh around 100kg each.
But not to worry, the robot is not 'The Terminator,' and is remotely controlled by an Android tablet behind the scenes.
Governments across Asia are beginning to roll out so-called 'helping robots' to boost interaction with the public. Early last year, Tokyo airport and the city's hospitals began rolling out a similar robot-on-wheels where people can ask questions. That robot also has a refrigerator attached.
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