World’s first talking robot policeman will be on the beat in May

In science fiction films such as Robocop, robot policemen are merciless killers who crush crime with metal fists – and hi-tech firearms.

But (thankfully) the real-life version going on the beat this year is a little bit tamer – and will be a multi-lingual droid which members of the public can use to contact police.

It’s part of a hi-tech makeover for Dubai which will also see flying drone taxis take to the skies later this year.

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The police robot used in Dubai is armed with face-recognition technology and will be used by members of the public to report crimes by pressing a button on its chest to talk to police.

People can also use it to pay traffic fines – and it can scan faces from up to 60ft away, part of a broader roll-out, which will see face-recognition cameras used in streetlights in the city state.

Brigadier Abdullah Bin Sultan of Dubai Police, told Gulf News: ‘We are looking to have more robots in future to handle policing.

‘By 2030, we are keen to make robots around 25 per cent of the total police force.