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Now, 'RoboCops' helping cops enforce law around the world

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ANI Melbourne
Last Updated : Jun 07 2014 | 4:46 PM IST

The robo-cop is actually here and is being used by law enforcement agencies around the world.

The telerob Explosive Ordnance Disposal and observation robot, or tEODor to his friends, is being used by Australian police forces around the country.

The state of the art robot has the dexterity to handle an egg, but also has enough power to crush a door lock. It can lift 100kg with ease, has four high-resolution cameras and can be equipped with a shotgun, water cannon or all manner of accessories and weapons, News.com.au reported.

It has been used to suspect, disarm and dispose of bombs, car bombs, as well as being used to enter hostile buildings to gather intel for officers outside.

Qinetic Dragon Runner - Small, lightweight and rugged. The characteristics of a perfect soldier? Originally designed for the US Marines, it can lift, grip and manipulate with its arm, detect motion, listen with a high-sensitivity microphone and relay video to its operator.

From the same company that makes those automated robot vacuums daytime TV tries to sell you, they have also made genuine, hardcore mechanical soldiers. First used in Afghanistan, the PackBot (named as it can be folded up into a backpack) would assist in crossing minefields and searching buildings.

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It has since been used in places like Fukishima to assess the state of the nuclear power plant and now police forces are using it too. It features a manipulator arm, a camera offering real-time visual, travels at 9.3kmh and can be operational in three feet of water. Ideal specs for bomb disposal and surveillance.

Thirty of these bots have been delivered to the Brazilian government and will be pivotal in helping police at the World Cup keep security tight by examining suspicious packages.

Robotic Ballistic Shield (RBS1): This robot is designed to have the back of fellow officers. In fact, acting as a huge bulletproof shield it'll also have their front and sides too.

Used by the Massachusetts State Police in the US, it has a hardened steel nose and shield on top of a manoeuvrable vehicle. Its bulk can also be used as a battering ram to force entry and smash objects like cars out of the path of the police.

Keeping law and order on the roads of the Democratic Republic of Congo is an 8 foot tall officer nobody would argue with.

With a distinctly retro look, this robot placed in the middle of a busy intersections uses LED screens on its arms and chest to control traffic and pedestrians.

It uses video cameras to record anyone who speeds or jumps red lights. It might not be as imposing as RoboCop but it's giving traffic police a helping hand and in a country where corruption is notorious, this mechanoid member of the law cannot be bought.

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First Published: Jun 07 2014 | 4:31 PM IST

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