Camel Jockey Robots Update

Robots ride camels in race

Remote-controlled robot jockeys have made their debut as camel riders in the United Arab Emirates, competing in a trial race after the Gulf Arab state tightened a ban on child jockeys.
Robots weighing up to 15kg were dressed in the clothes of human jockeys during the race held in the capital Abu Dhabi, which officials described as "successful", the WAM news agency reported.




Human trafficking

The UAE and neighbouring Qatar, which has also banned child camel jockeys and tested out the robotic substitutes, want to replace them with robot riders which receive orders from an instructor via a remote control system on the back of the camel.

UAE officials plan to order up to 10,000 robots from Asian countries at the cost of about $2000 each.

Rights groups have said that several thousand boys, some as young as four, work as jockeys in the lucrative sport in the oil-rich state.


Aljazeera.Net - Robots ride camels in race

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Aljazeera also reports on Japan's Eldercare robots.