The 1987 science fiction film RoboCop introduced us to a brave cyborg law enforcer who was "part man, part machine" and "all cop." Today, the idea of a police officer who's part-robot no longer seems so far-fetched.
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Florida International University's Discovery Lab is designing a "telebot" that can be controlled by a disabled police officer or war veteran off site, according to CNET.
The FIU Discovery Lab project is partially funded by Jeremy Robins, lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, who is passionate about bringing thousands of disabled officers and military men and women back to work. Robins was inspired by advanced robots used by surgeons, business professionals and the U.S. military.
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“With telebots, a disabled police officer will be capable of performing many, if not most, of the functions of a normal patrol office," Robins told FIU News.
FIU obtained two military-grade robots from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Urban Warrior Robot program. The Discovery Lab scientists and students will develop the telebot prototype. Researchers are planning to incorporate video, audio and sensory capabilities so the robots can respond to 911 calls, write parking tickets, scope out buildings and interact with people.
Would you be willing to interact with police telebots on the street? Tell us in the comments.
Image courtesy of Flickr, ideaconstructor
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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