British Police Are Going Robocop

British bobbies may soon be ditching caps and tunics for a striking new digital look.

At a presentation earlier this year pitching the Home Office’s new Security Innovation and Demonstration Centre (SIDC), Rob Coleman, director of the Center for Applied Science and Technology, unveiled a new vision for police that includes a robotic exoskeleton, graphene body armor, cameras, and wearables such as Apple Watch-like wrist computers and Google Glass-like digital eyewear. Information on Coleman’s presentation was obtained by a Freedom of Information request by the Guardian.

The exoskeletons in mind are likely related those in development by the US military, which could allow soldiers to carry up to 200 pounds for an extended period of time.

The SIDC was launched officially last week, with a stated goal of “developing the ‘digital police officer’—enabling officers to use technology such as [body cameras], wearable mobile data and head-up displays to improve information gathering and sharing.” The SIDC has run as a pilot program since May of last year, and so far has worked on the development of body cameras for British police.

The new look may not go down that well with the public. Colin Rogers, a professor of police sciences at the University of South Wales, told the Guardian that some forces “are beginning to look almost paramilitary. That, I think, is not conducive to good community engagement.”

(Image via pjhpix/Shutterstock.com)