Dubai Police Likely to Have Self-Driving Cars for Patrolling

The fleet of the Dubai Police is known for having luxury cars and supercars like Bugatti Veyrons, Aston Martin One-77 and Lamborghinis. With the advent of autonomous cars, there is every possibility that you could soon be pulled over by a self-driving police car on Dubai roads if you are on the wrong side of the law.

Dubai police has confirmed that by the end of 2017, the organization would be adding self-driving cars to its fleet. In a press statement, the commander of the Dubai Police Force, Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, said that Dubai Police was trying to use technology to augment its operations so that the streets could be safe and peaceful even without heavy police patrol. The vehicle will first be deployed in tourist locations.

Described more as a self-driving security robot than an autonomous car, the O-R3 is currently under development. Made by a Singapore based company called Otsaw Robotics, the car comes along with a drone that will allow it to conduct aerial surveillance and chase criminals to places the vehicle can’t reach.

The O-R3, which is about the size of a dune buggy will be able to keep tabs on its surroundings with an array of cameras and imaging devices. These devices to help the vehicle avoid obstacles include thermal imaging, laser scanners, HD cameras and LIDAR. Thus, the O-R3 will have the capability to read license plates, recognize faces and notice things that are out of place. The vehicles will essentially act as mobile surveillance units.

The Dubai police is adding this vehicle to the fleet not with a view to reducing the workforce but to help the police to streamline the workflow. The fleet of ground and air-based O-R3s will be used to monitor the roads for signs of criminal activity and to collect data that will be sent back to home base. With Dubai becoming the first city to use robotic cars for patrolling the streets, there is now no way you can get away with speeding or trying to hoodwink the police in any other manner.