Dubai police will be able to respond to an accident or crime that has occurred anywhere in the city within one minute, thanks to a network of bases of drones prepositioned.
The quadcopters, supplied by the Israeli company aerobotics, will operate from base stations during the Expo 2020 event which starts in October this year. The Expo is the third contact event in the world after the World Cup and the Olympics: an important platform for this "anti-crime" system.
The drones, to read a tweet Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, will allow the police to reduce his response time from 4,4 minutes to 1 minute.
How does the network of "anti-crime" drones work Dubai
Each base located in several strategic points of the city has a sort of sliding roof that allows drones to enter and exit. Drones can fly on a pre-programmed patrol or be sent on a specific "mission", allowing a police headquarters operator to inspect a crime scene. Duties also include following a suspicious individual or vehicle and transmitting data to other police units.
With a width of 1,8 meters, anti-crime quadcopters are bigger than consumer drones. The base station broadcasts communications and incorporates a robotic arm to replace the drone's batteries, allowing it to land and take off immediately without delay for charging.
A versatile aircraft, which is now employed in new tasks
Airobotics drones are already being used in various countries, but this is the first time they are being used for police throughout a city. In some places they guarantee safety, in others they carry out industrial tasks (generally daily surveys on coal or phosphate stocks from mines). Last year, Singapore deployed two units of Airobotics to oversee compliance with the covid-19 blockade, and avoid crowds.
Small drones are relatively cheap to buy and maintain compared to manned helicopters. I am sure that for “anti-crime” tasks, or more generally of ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) they will soon be a global model for other cities. And the manufacturing company is also convinced of it.
"The goal is to model other law enforcement agencies globally. This may be the shortest and most efficient way to deal with emergencies," says an Airobotics spokesperson.
