Dubai, June 1 (Reuters): A robotic policeman which can help identify wanted criminals and collect evidence has joined Dubai's police force and will patrol busy areas in the city, as part of a government programme aimed at replacing some human crime-fighters with machines.

If the "Robocop" experiment is successful, Dubai Police says it wants the unarmed robots to make up 25 per cent of its patrolling force by 2030.

Clad in the colours of the Dubai Police uniform, the life-size robot, which can shake hands and perform a military salute, is the lighter side of a government plan to use technology to improve services ahead of Expo 2020.

"These kind of robots can work 24/7. They won't ask you for leave, sick leave or maternity leave. It can work around the clock," said Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi, director general of the Smart Services Department at Dubai Police. The first automated policeman is equipped with cameras and facial recognition software.