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The real Robocop lands in Spain: Granada to purchase a humanoid police robot to control traffic
The AI-powered robot will assist officers as part of a pilot project promoting innovation in public services
In 1987, the cult classic film Robocop saw a half-man, half-machine law enforcer clean up the crime-ridden streets of Detroit, issuing justice with a built-in machine gun arm. Now, the Spanish city of Granada is preparing to unleash its own robotic police officer on the streets to serve the public trust, protect the innocent and uphold the law.
As confirmed by Granada City Council, police officers are preparing to introduce a humanoid police robot to help them manage traffic in the city centre. The initiative is part of the G-Move project, a programme designed to promote innovative solutions in fields such as road safety and mobility.
The robot’s deployment will take place within a pilot programme aimed at testing and promoting tools that allow more agile and effective management of municipal operations.
Modelled on devices already used in China, the humanoid police robot will use artificial intelligence to learn from experience. However, it will not operate autonomously or replace officers, according to the City Council.
Instead, it will work under the direction and supervision of municipal staff at all times, supporting existing police units rather than substituting them.
Initially, the robot’s duties will focus on public-facing roles, including citizen assistance and tasks related to tourism and culture. In the medium term, its functions could expand to include traffic management, mobility regulation and even activities linked to cleaning services or other municipal areas.
Granada’s Councillor for Innovation, Vito Episcopo, said, “Granada wants to be an urban laboratory for innovation and this project is another step in that direction.”
For over a year now, police in Málaga have been using a robot dog to help them cover certain tasks, notably catching electric scooter users who break the city’s transport laws.
The project’s roots go back to a City Council call for ideas earlier this year, when officials set out to tackle the challenges of road safety. Among their aims: to reduce the risks faced by officers standing in busy intersections and to bring in more proactive, data-driven systems.
The broader plan includes adaptive smart traffic lights that can sense congestion and adjust timings accordingly, as well as projected light lanes to help guide vehicles safely.
Granada’s experiment with this AI-powered ‘Robocop’ could mark a turning point in how Spanish cities approach urban mobility and public safety in the years to come, helping to “serve the public trust, protect the innocent and uphold the law,” as Robocop’s catchphrase had it!
Image: Policía Local de Granada
