Robots
I did not believe.
He said:
When my robots storm
your front lawn
you will understand.
Christopher Kline
Most robots in 2015 are either industrial robots or toys, but there
exist some devices that are quite relevant for the InfoWar.
Explorer
A common kind of all-around robot. Around 1.5 meters high and one
meter wide, with a large fairly strong manipulator and two fine
manipulators. It trundles along on two tracks. It can be programmed
or run through teleoperation. Explorer-style robots were originally
used by bomb squads and rescue operations, but have become standard
in industry applications the last years for moving things around,
repairs or some menial tasks. Price: 4,000 IOU, Spec
Telepresence rigs
Using a virtual reality set it is possible to control a robotic
mechanism that does the same as the user. This is used by bomb
squads, undersea operations, surgeons or engineers to work in
hostile or inaccessible places, using robots or actuators to do the
physical work. They are uncommon, but in use. The VR set usually
requires hifi sensors and tactile feedback, while the actuator
needs to be fairly flexible (otherwise it is more like a fancy
radio controlled toy). Standardized robotic arms and hands similar
to their human counterparts exist, and can be attached to drones,
bomb crawlers or surgical racks.
Siemens WE-2013 Surgical Teleoperator
A kind of robot for use in the operating theater. It looks like a
box (housing the electronics) with several movable arms on top. Two
or three are manipulators, where tools or robot hands can be
plugged in, the rest are cameras or spotlights. One or more
endoscopes can be connected, and there are standard connectors to
other medical equipment. The WE2013 is a quite robust design that
can be used for teleoperated surgery; it has been used linked to a
satellite connection and solar cells in relief operations around
the globe quite successfully. Price: 5,000 IOU, Spec/Rest (only
sold to accredited hospitals or medical organizations)
Drones
Flying surveillance drones have been under development for several
decades, and are now a common sight above many major cities. They
are little more than radio controlled miniature helicopters or
blimps, equipped with surveillance cameras and sometimes with a
semi-autonomous onboard agent. Military versions are used for
reconnaissance, forward observation, dropping "packages"
(especially non-lethal weapons) or even as mini-gunships.
Communication is through radio, IR or laser. Autonomous drones
exist, but they are not very common outside the military: too
expensive and unreliable. Drones tend to be subjected to complex
rules for air safety, public monitoring and telecommunications; in
practice most governments want to keep private drones away
outdoors.
UbiTech Cloud: A small drone intended for quiet
monitoring. It is covered with a while plastic shell 25 centimeters
across, containing a silent but powerful fan that can be used to
hover motionless in the air, or fly around at 30 km/hour. It has a
camera with flexible lenses, and can send signals through the net.
Popular in some places as part of a moving security system. Price:
3,200 IOU, Res.
Seagull 2.3: A larger drone platform, manufactured by
Mitsubishi. Around one meter across, able to fly at 60 km/hour,
land and do various aeronautical stunts. Robot parts can be added,
for example manipulators, telepresence, signal monitoring systems,
solar panels for extended flight or weapons (in military versions).
Price: 7,000 IOU Res.
When the smarts come marchin' in
Multipurpose
Security and Surveillance Mission Platform
Gnatbots
Gnatbots are the result of twenty years of animats and
miniaturization. Tiny robots, often just a few millimeters large,
controlled by simple minds with insect-like behaviors like
scouting, hiding, escaping or flying. Their use for surveillance
and exploration are obvious. Some Concordat roboticists are working
on a nanotech version, which would be a swarm of submillimeter
flies able to act together.
Microbots and the end of secrets?
Cockroach (IRSD 34): a standard gnatbot design that
can be customized, made by several robotics companies such as
Cybernation Mobile Robotics, Mekatronix and Securetech. It is
mainly used for inspections inside machinery, rescue operations and
scouting. Around the size of a large bug (around two centimeters
long) with a carapace of hard plastic (coloring depending on maker
and customizing). The Cockroach is fairly tough and has an active
time of several hours of moving before needing a recharge. It
cannot fly, just walk or climb using its six legs. It communicates
using radio broadcasts, although some models have been customized
to use infrared signals or carry a fiber-optic cable. Standard
sensors are a small camera and collision sensors, but sonar,
microphone, infrared and electronic sensors can be built in. For a
gnatbot it is fairly stupid in the default configuration, and
usually practically run by remote control. Price: 300 IOU
Spec
Mosquito: An advanced spy gnatbot; the prototype was
developed by Seiko, but several other groups seem to have developed
their own versions or copied theirs. The Mosquito looks practically
identical to a small, transparent mosquito, complete with
mosquito-like behavior. It is made of light plastic, and contains a
small neural net brain and advanced vision systems. It cannot hear,
but can transmit what it sees using radio or infrared. Price: 1,000
IOU Spec, Ill
Mite: The state of the art in the Concordat, the
result of a collaboration between NRG1 and NMS Brussels. The mite
is just 0.2 millimeters across, a silicon microbot with a
nanocomputer brain and simple behavioral programs. It is completely
autonomous, and controlled by simple stimuli such as sunlight,
pheromone commands or pre-programmed instincts. It can record up to
24 hours of sound before its memory is filled. Price: 9,000 IOU
Dev, Ill
