Truckin’ Camel

A camel races on a track at Al Shahaniyah in Qatar, Feb. 21, 2009. Camel racing is a popular past time in Qatar. The animals require constant encouragement to keep running. Amid pressure from human rights activists, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar emir, ordered child camel jockeys to be replaced with robots in 2003 – capturing interest from robotics corporations in United States, Europe and Japan. Robots from United Arab Emirates were designed using a common drill motor, rechargeable batteries and a whip.