Are robocops the stuff of fantasy...or reality?

Ultimate crimefighters on horizon

- BY HANNA GEISSLER Health Editor, in Phoenix

Peter Weller starred as RoboCop - part human, part machine - in the hit US movie in 1987

CRIME-fighting cyborgs may sound like the stuff of science fiction but “robocops” may soon become reality, a leading expert says.

British police are to be polled about using artificial intelligence-powered law enforcement companions.

Professor Ivan Sun, from the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware, USA, said forces around the world are struggling to cope with mounting crime.

He said humanoid robot bobbies — similar to those being trialled for border security in China - could use facial recognition to identify criminals and then give tireless chase.

A robot could “probably do the job of three officers” without the need for breaks or rest.