In the teeming capital of Congo , where drivers often flout traffic rules , five chunky , arm-waving robots equipped with cameras and lights have been set up to watch over the roads . The 8ft solar-powered aluminium robots are huge , towering over the jammed streets of Kinshasa , as cars and motorcyles jostle for road room , their horns blasting . Each hand on the odd-looking machines - built to withstand the year-round hot climate - is fitted with green and red lights that regulate the flow of traffic in the sprawling city of nine million . The 8ft solar-powered aluminium robots are huge , towering over the jammed streets of Kinshasa , as cars and motorcyles jostle for road room , their horns blasting . The robots are also equipped with rotating chests and surveillance cameras that record the flow of traffic and send real-time images to the police station . Although the humanoids look more like giant toys than real policemen , motorists have given them a thumbs up . 'There are certain drivers who do n't respect the traffic police . But with the robot it will be different . We should respect the robot , ' taxi driver Poro Zidane told AFP . 'We 're very happy about it , ' he said , his taxi packed with passengers as drivers around him honked their horns in a desperate bid to cut through the traffic jam . Of the five robots set up across the capital , two have been regulating traffic since 2013 . Each hand on the odd-looking machines - built to withstand the year-round hot climate - is fitted with green and red lights that regulate the flow of traffic in the sprawling city of nine million . The robots are also equipped with rotating chests and surveillance cameras that record the flow of traffic and send real-time images to the police station . While they may not be as terrifying as the robocop in the science fiction action film ( pictured ) , they have proven effective at combating traffic crime . Last week , three new and improved robots developed by a Congolese association of women engineers were set up across the city . It seems that robots could be policing the streets in the US very soon . The TeleBot , created by students at Florida International University , will be able to do simple police tasks like handing out parking tickets . It is designed to be controlled remotely , and its multiple sensors and cameras mean its operator can use it to patrol the streets from anywhere . 'We want to use telebots to give disabled military and police veterans an opportunity to serve in law enforcement , ' explained Jeremy Robins , who is funding the project . 'With TeleBots , a disabled police officer will be capable of performing many , if not most , of the functions of a normal patrol officer - interacting with the community , patrolling , responding to 911 calls , issuing citations . ' The robot , which is about six feet tall , gets around on wheels and has three HD cameras , giving it full 360 degree vision . It also boasts cameras that point at the ground , which stops it from running into people , and its face will have an 'emotive display ' which will allow it to express 'simple emotions ' . Each unit costs only $ 20,000 . The newcomers even have names : Tamuke , Mwaluke and Kisanga . They each cost $ 27,500 . Therese Izay , president of Women 's Technology , the group behind the robots , believes the invention will help make it far more difficult for motorists in Kinshasa to get away with traffic violations . 'In our city , someone can commit an offence and run away , and say that no one saw him . 'But now , day or night , we 'll be able to see him in real time and he will pay his fine like in all the serious countries of the world , ' she said . The new robots 'react much more quickly ' than the older models , she said . 'The electronic components work much better now than the ones from the first generation , ' she said , adding that she had submitted a proposal for the authorities to purchase 30 more robots to watch over the country 's highways . Five of the machines have already been sent to Katanga province , in the southeast of the country . General Celestin Kanyama , chief of Kinshasa 's police force , said the new electronic cops were a welcome addition in a city where 2,276 people have died in traffic accidents since 2007 . 'These robots will be an important asset for the police , ' he said . But Kinshasa governor Andre Kimbuta said that while the machines could regulate traffic , they were no match for real policemen who could chase motorists who jump red lights and raise civic awareness . 'We should congratulate our Congolese engineers , but policemen also need to do their job , ' he said . Last week , three new and improved robots developed by a Congolese association of women engineers were set up across the city . Kinshasa , were the trials are taking place , is the capital and the largest city of Congo , near the Congo River .
Each hand is fitted with green and red lights that regulate flow of traffic . Robots are also equipped with rotating chests and surveillance camera . Each of the 8ft robots can send real-time images to the police station . Kinshasa governor said that while the machines could regulate traffic , they were no match for real policemen who could chase motorists .