Here in the states, we like to bet on the ponies, but in Qatar it's all about camel racing. And as with horse racing, having a lightweight riders means everything. By the early 1990s kids as young as 5 and 6 were replacing traditional jockeys in Qatar's camel races. But after a huge uproar over child trafficking and intervention from Human Rights Watch, the U.S. State Department and UNICEF, it became clear that it was time for a new--and less cruel--solution. Enter the Robo-Jockey.

A group called the National Robotic Jockey Committee built the first robot jockey prototype in 2002--one that fell off the camel's hump during testing and melted in the hot sun. After years of rigorous testing and trial and error, this year's working model was released. Weighing less than 7 pounds and not even one foot tall, this robo-jockey can whip the camel at different speeds and pressures and in different positions. The robot also has built-in speakers so that human trainers can encourage the animals by voice. I just wonder what the camels think about all this.

Via: The Christian Science Monitor