A cleaning robot in action at one of Dubai's metro station.
A cleaning robot in action at one of Dubai's metro station.
A cleaning robot in action at one of Dubai's metro station.
A cleaning robot in action at one of Dubai's metro station.

Orange robots clean up Dubai metro stations


Patrick Ryan
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has dispatched a team of robots to help clean up the city’s metro stations.

Mohammed Hasan Al Amiri, RTA director of rail maintenance, said that the machines were being used on a trial basis.

He said the project was in line with the RTA’s efforts to support the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which was announced in 2017 to make the country a hub for developing AI technology.

“The use of robots in cleaning Dubai Metro stations is an experimental step considered the first of its kind worldwide in using such technology to clean metro stations,” said Mr Al Amiri.

“Once the success of the trial is verified, the technology will be deployed in other stations.”

Each robot is equipped with sensors to detect barriers and avoid collisions. It is not known how many of the machines are being used at metro stations or how long the trial is set to last.

“It [the robot] can also be pre-set to perform automated cleaning patterns of floors without human intervention except for simple steps such as adding water and programming,” said Mr Al Amiri.

“The RTA always seeks to harness the latest technology for serving the public.”

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket

Leap of Faith

Michael J Mazarr

Public Affairs

Dh67
 

yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai 

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)

Kolkata won by 31 runs

MATCH INFO

England 241-3 (20 ovs)

Malan 130 no, Morgan 91

New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)

Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47

England win by 76 runs

Series level at 2-2

UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative