Dubai robot maker to triple workforce as it prepares for $37m New York IPO

Micropolis, a Dubai-based manufacturer that specialises in developing autonomous mobile robots, plans to build a new production plant and triple its workforce with the funding it raises from an upcoming New York initial public offering.

Once fully operational in Dubai Production City, the factory will build an average of one robot a day to meet a growing demand from customers, Fareed Aljawhari, Micropolis founder and chief executive, told media in an interview.

Micropolis has two autonomous robots – a golf cart-sized one called M1 and a smaller model called M2 – which use the same robotic platform that combines mobility, autonomy and advanced AI capabilities.

In 2018, the company teamed up with Dubai Police to develop an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that uses AI to help with crime prevention.

“They [Dubai Police] can’t deploy manned vehicles [in every area] so they can use robots like this to survey an area,” Mr Aljawhari said. “A robot by itself cannot do anything so that’s why we added the AI layer to it.

“We have software that we developed in-house called Microspot, equipped with five AI engines – facial recognition, behaviour analysis, ANPR [automatic number-plate recognition], criminal logic and suspect matrix.

“It makes the robot drive like a patrol and it thinks like a police officer. It reports suspicious activity and Dubai Police can scan and keep an eye on communities 24 hours a day.”

The smaller version of the robot will be trialled in April for six months in one community before possibly being introduced to more areas later this year.

The robot can be used in various industries, such as oil and gas, and for uses including helping to collect rubbish, Mr Aljawhari said.

“We are working with Adnoc with a similar concept,” Mr Aljawhari said. “They are using our security robots but we are developing new robots for them for pipe surveillance and monitoring.

“We are working with Saudi Arabia in logistics but using the same AMR and platform. Because we built the technology from scratch, we can develop and customise the robots the way the customer wants it to be.”

Micropolis is collaborating with Dubai South and Dubai Customs on a robot project called Remote Inspector that will speed up the clearance process for goods coming from outside the country.