AFTER YEARS OF criticism over the use of underfed child jockeys in its camel races, the Gulf State of Qatar is to replace them with robots. Yeah you read right, robots (like the movie perhaps?). The 27.22kg robot is equipped with a global positioning system satellite beacon and shock absorbers. They are also sprayed with traditional perfume used by trainers to prevent them being rejected by the camels. The Kamel receives commands from a remote control up to a half-mile away and is piloted by a camel handler who follows the Rrobot rider in four-wheel drive and uses a joystick on the laptop-sized remote.
According to the QNA news agency,the robot - dubbed Kamel - has been built by a Swiss company, K-Team, and tested so successfully and that the energy-rich country is considering setting up a factory to build them. Camel racing, which is popular among Bedouin, is a highly lucrative sport in Qatar However, human rights groups are opposed to the practice because it involves the use of child jockeys.
Many of these children are allaged to have been abducted or sold by their families, mainly from India. Rights activitsts claim they are kept in prison-like conditions and underfed to keep them light so the camels run faster.
Qatar official, Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani, said that the use of robot jockeys would allow the sport to continue, the agency reported. K-Team used a digital camera to take detailed shots of the racing camels, capturing every possible movement and reaction. The idea is also being taken up by the nearby United Arab Emirates.
