Dubai rolls out autonomous police cars to go alongside its robot police officers
Technology is changing the world of law enforcement and it's important to experiment with new ideas that provide low visibility but highly effective policing.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Dubai rolls out autonomous police cars to go alongside its robot police officers', 311 Institute, 30 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/dubai-rolls-out-autonomous-police-cars-to-go-alongside-its-robot-police-officers/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
A couple of weeks ago, and following on from the deployment of the regions first robot police officer at the Dubai Mall, the police force in Dubai, who want 25 percent of the force to be “robotic” by 2030, unveiled another small addition to their team – a small autonomous patrol car that will scour the city’s streets looking for criminals and suspicious objects. It will start duty by the end of the year.
The autonomous police car uses 360 degree surveillance technology and will be programmed to patrol specific areas, using a battery of biometric scanners to look for and identify suspects, identify suspicious objects, and in the event that a criminal chooses to leg it and run away from it, it comes with its own mini drone that it can launch to give chase.
Mind You Don't Reverse Over It
The robot, named the O-R3, was developed by Singapore start up OTSAW Digital, and while it isn’t set to fully replace human officers the idea is that it can perform low level patrols and surveillance work in tourist areas.
"Essentially, we aim for the streets to be safe and peaceful without the need to deploy a heavy police patrol," said Dubai police chief Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri.
Next time you go to Dubai keep an eye out for them and make sure you don’t trip over it – or you might get a ticket.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Technology is changing the world of law enforcement and it's important to experiment with new ideas that provide low visibility but highly effective policing.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- OTSAW Digital otsaw.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 30 November 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Dubai rolls out autonomous police cars to go alongside its robot police officers. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/dubai-rolls-out-autonomous-police-cars-to-go-alongside-its-robot-police-officers/
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