Members of the public can meet and interact with Ajman Police in the metaverse, a virtual reality platform where avatars of officers will answer people's queries.
The metaverse is a virtual reality platform that uses augmented reality, 3D holographic avatars and videos for social interactions. People there can buy real estate or even host a wedding.
It can also include augmented reality that combines aspects of the digital and physical worlds. Ajman Police will use the technology to help the public with general enquiries.
Seven officers from Al Nuaimaiah police station have been trained in metaverse technology, which included instruction on how to use VR glasses and headsets. The service was tested locally to gauge its success.
“This was a trial but having proved successful, officers will continue to meet residents virtually,” said Maj Noura Sultan Al Shamsi, head of Ajman Police’s media relations team.
She said before the launch of the service, officers held meetings with residents in person and decided to explore the use of virtual meetings to make things easier for people who may not be able to visit the station in person.
“The meetings aimed to explore residents' needs and answer their queries. Then we thought of facilitating this in a way that does not require people’s physical presence,” she said.
The new service will soon be available for all police stations in Ajman, she said.
“Other services would be facilitated through the metaverse world but for now it's limited to meeting officers for general enquiries," said Maj Al Shamsi, who did not elaborate on which additional services would be available.
Lt Col Mohammed Abu Shehab, head of services development at Al Nuaimaiah police station, said the public were involved in the development of the service.
“Their feedback was taken into account while developing the service,” he said.
Inside a Dubai couple's metaverse wedding: in pictures
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Florian Ughetto and Liz Nunez, who live in Dubai, got married in the metaverse on May 19, 2022. All photos: Easy Wedding -
The ceremony was attended by guests - or rather, their digital avatars - from 10 countries. -
The couple's parents - who live in France and Paraguay - were also in attendance. -
The bride and groom wore outfits designed by Ketevan and crafted on the polygon blockchain. -
Rings were exchanged as unique digital items (NFTs). -
The couple were first married in 2019, in Georgia. -
The metaverse wedding featured a ceremony in a chapel. -
The couple exchanged vows in the metaverse. -
After the ceremony, the couple and their guests headed to Amnesia Ibiza's club in the metaverse for the after-party. -
The couple and some guests at their real-life wedding venue in The Springs community in Dubai. -
The two ceremonies took place simultaneously, with a third session held on Zoom.
