The robot revolution set to make cars safer

The UAE is at the forefront of car technology, but a recent robotic development has showcased just how much the boundaries are being pushed.

A newly designed robot will soon be able to assist motorists when it comes to detecting faults in their cars after a newly developed vehicle inspection system (VIS) was launched.

The robot, which was unveiled at the 38th Gitex Technology Week in Dubai, is just one of any number of incredible initiatives that have recently been revealed by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) as part of its ongoing mission to make the UAE’s roads safer.

<b>What do the robots actually do?</b>

 

Though such robots are currently only in a pilot phase, these devices are set to be installed at numerous petrol stations, as well as select other public locations, to help drivers detect problems in their vehicles.

The five-foot robots will be able to interact with motorists and enable them to, in just a few simple steps, check for serious and significant vehicular faults. People will have the capacity to find faults in their vehicles, and can therefore take measures to get such problems fixed.

<b>The process</b>

Once the driver parks up and decides to use the device, they will be asked to remove a dongle that is part of the robot that can then be inserted into the car. This will give the opportunity to scan the vehicle’s diagnostics and check its overall health.

After the dongle has been inserted into the vehicle, it will take around ten minutes for all of the vehicle’s systems to be read and for any faults to be properly noted. Upon the conclusion of the scan, the dongle will be removed from the vehicle, placed back into the robot, and then all of the collected data will be analysed. The vehicle owner will then supply a name and email address, and the resultant data and analysis will be forwarded.

Speaking about this device Jamal Al Sadah, RTA director, said: “At the moment, the smart robot is on a proof of concept phase, but soon, there will be no need for the owner to bring the car to the service centre because we will be deploying the smart inspection robots.”