Robo-Jockey Camel Riders (VIDEO)

Having a lightweight riders means everything when it comes to horse racing. Same concept applies to camel racing in quatar. Because of that, in the early 1990s, kids as young as 5 and 6 were replacing traditional jockeys in Qatar’s camel races. After a huge uproar over child trafficking and intervention from Human Rights Watch, it became clear that it was time for a new solution.

The first robot jockey prototype was built in 2002 by a group called the National Robotic Jockey Committee but it fell off the camel’s hump during testing and melted in the hot sun. Finally, a working model was released after years of rigorous testing and trial and error.

Weighing less than 7 pounds and not even one foot tall, this robo-jockey can whip the camel at different speeds and pressures and in different positions. The robot also has built-in speakers so that human trainers can encourage the animals by voice.