Robocops! How Google Glass, wearable computers and exoskeletons will turn the friendly neighbourhood bobby into a 'paramilitary' crime-fighting machine

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Police officers could soon be equipped with watch computers, digital glasses and exoskeleton body suits under plans being examined by the Home Office.

The Government is looking into a number of ways in which the latest technology can help police maintain national security and catch criminals.

Among the gadgets being considered is the widespread use of body cameras and an ultra-light new graphene body armour, whose inventors won the Nobel Prize.

Armed police have already been given the latest body armour and weapons, but it emerged today that officers could soon be given computer glasses and watches as well as super-light graphene vests

Google Glass-style eyewear could allow police at busy events to have Twitter flashed up in front of them, while officers responding to 999 calls could access Google maps to work out possible escape routes.

Evidence gathered from cameras on bodysuits could also help to secure convictions and build a case against suspects.

Forces could also see the use of the exoskeleton suits also being examined by the US Army, which allows users to run faster and walk for longer periods.

A version of the suit being developed by the US military allows soldiers to carry up to 200 pounds for more than 12 miles on a single battery charge.

It also allows them to run at 7 mph for extended periods and even has a 'burst mode' that takes the run into a 10 mph sprint for short periods. 

The plans for the new technology emerged as the Home Office unveiled its new Security and Innovation Centre (SIDC), where scientists will work on ways to better equip and arm police officers.

From next month, the centre will work on 'developing the digital police officer', the Home Office stated.

It described the project as 'enabling officers to use technology such as body-worn video, wearable mobile data and head-up displays to improve information gathering and sharing'.

Among the gadgets being considered is greater use of body cameras fitted to officers helmets or vests

Exoskeleton suits like used being developed by the US military could also be used by police in future

Police forces could also use Google Glass-style eyewear to monitor Twitter and the internet while on the beat

It will also work on improving drug and explosive detection tools and finding ways of better tracking organised criminals using the internet.

Karen Bradley, Minister for Organised Crime, said: 'I’m delighted to launch the Security Innovation and Demonstration Centre – a hub that allows government, industry, academia and of course practitioners, such as the police, to identify security challenges and create innovative solutions to tackle them.

'We already have a strong and thriving security industry and I am committed to supporting it to ensure it stays at the forefront of the global market and at the same time contributes to the safety and security of the UK.'

The technology being examined was revealed in a secret presentation given by the director of Home Office's Centre for Applied Science and Technology, Rob Coleman, which emerged after a freedom of information request by the Guardian.

But the prospect of even better equipped police officers has raised fears among some former officers.

Former police inspector Colin Rogers told the newspaper: 'There has been a problem, perhaps, with some forces in that they are beginning to look almost paramilitary. That, I think, is not conducive to good community engagement.'

Computer watches, like these being unveiled by Apple earlier this year, could also be given to police officers

The Home Office is examining whether graphene - a material which is 200 times stronger than steel and six times lighter -  could be used in police body armour