Camel-racing robots wear perfume so the camels accept them

Camel racing in the Gulf states once ran on child jockeys — "usually boys around the age of four," according to Wikipedia. "Often, the boys would be starved to be as light as possible," and "there was an active child slave trade for camel jockeys." After international condemnation, the UAE banned jockeys under 15 in 2002, and Qatar's emir banned child jockeys in 2005, directing that by 2007 every race would be run by a robot jockey.

Qatar's government started development in 2001, and the first successful model came in 2003 from Rashid Ali Ibrahim of the Qatar Scientific Club before the design went to Swiss robotics firm K-Team. The camels, conditioned to human riders, rejected the machines: "Early designs confused or frightened the camels." Engineers responded with "a mannequin-like face, sunglasses, hats, racing silks and even traditional perfumes used by human jockeys."

The first official robot race ran in Qatar by 2005. The heavy 16-to-18-kilogram Swiss robots were later replaced by two-to-three-kilogram local models that also monitor the camel's speed and heart rate. "These robots are remote controlled by operators being driven alongside the racetrack in SUVs."

Previously:

• Hi-ya! Watch this humanoid robot practice Kung fu (video)
• Huge, futuristic 3D printed mech-tank