Dubai camel races see tiny robot jockeys compete while wealthy viewers bet millions
dailystar.co.ukDubai's rich and elite citizens are placing massive amounts of money on the winners of bizarre camel races that are controlled by robot jockeys.Although the city is known for its flashy nightlife and expensive events, the sport of camel racing is also phenomenally popular there with many citizens seeing it as an important part of Arabian heritage.Before 2002, children were used as jockeys for the beasts as they were lighter than adults but this was outlawed and new robots took their place.The hilarious contraptions are made out of aluminium and are dressed up in the same regalia as human jockeys complete with little helmets.A small automated whip is used to rhythmically spur the camels onwards and a heart monitor keeps a constant check on the camel.Through a GPS they are able to track the camel's movements and they even come equipped with walkie talkies that allow owners to shout instructions to their camel in real-time.Camels though not known for being rapid can reach a top speed of 65 km per hour.They are pitted against each other around a 8km track in what some call organised chaos.
Hundreds of camels are often pitted against each other in the races which attract thousands of fans. The largest camel race ever known to have occurred happened in neighbouring Saudi Arabia in 2019.
That race saw a staggering 13,377 camels and 13,377 robots line up and race through the Taif circuit. If your camel wins the race you can be in a large payday.
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