[gurps] [Vehicle] TL8 "Proxy-soldier"

[Pauli Hakala]

DataPacRat wrote:
> On 13/09/2007, Pauli Hakala <Pauli.Hakala at mail.suomi.net> wrote:
>> DataPacRat wrote:
> 
>>> small robot brain (complexity 2, +0 DX; hardened).
>> How about a +1 to +3 DX reflex booster for the computer - This
>> would give the robot better physical skills when not
>> controlled by a human. Battlefield conditions do not always allow
>> for high-bandwidth communications.
> 
> Hm... I agree in that I see the robot brain mainly as a fallback
> failsafe for when communications become degraded, to keep the robot
> moving at least roughly in the general manner that the
> remote-controller has been moving it in rather than freezing up or
> stuttering. I'm not sure if adding to the DX would be that useful.
> 
> Let's see... at present, we have.
> Robot Attributes: ST 171, DX 9, IQ 5, HT 10, / 17.
> 
> We can up the DX to 10, 11, or 12 for an extra $2500, $5k, or $10k...
> I think I'll peg a baseline Proxy at DX 10, so that it's at least as
> good as the "average" human.
> 

Perhaps upgrade models could be equipped with better computers,
better reflex boosters and neural net brains.. Only issued for
more experienced higher ranking teletroopers, naturally.

> 
>> Also a good idea might be to give the computer the 'Neural Net'
>> option, so that it can learn from it's human operator, meaning
>> that not only does the operator gain combat experience, but the
>> robot also.. This might even result in a small 'teamplay' bonus
>> for operator/robot pair with lots of field experience together
>> as a team..
> 
> An interesting idea, I think I'll save it for the Mark 2. :)
> 
> Hm... that's odd; I think I've found a bug in GVB. I have myself my
> robot brain, +1 DX, hardened, costing $7500. I toggle on the neural
> net option, the cost listed for the brain goes up to $15k, good... but
> when I look at the vehicle's total cost, that hasn't gone up at all.
> Oh, wait, I see - I've put all the subassemblies as being under the
> root item in the tree, as opposed to being under the Body. Fixing that
> has affected some stats calculations - the listed price is now $185k.
> 

That's not very cheap. Even so, a damaged robot is easier to fix than
a human soldier..

> 
>>> TL8 DR 10 advanced laminate [Vehicle].
>> Given that the vehicle has the electrified surface option, I'd
>> recommend giving it a sandwiched armor construction also including
>> a layer of non-rigid armor material (insulates well from electricity).
> 
> Given G:Vehicles' level of detail, I simply assumed that the price and
> weight for an electrified surface included whatever was necessary to
> take care of such insulation. 'Laminate' armor is, after all already
> made up of a number of layers.
> 

Electrified surface of course includes insulation, but punching a
hole through the robot or damaging the frame while the ES is
operating might still fry the robots internals.. Extra layer of
non-rigid armor might make sense, even though the rules do not
specifically adress these kinds of things..

Also, the robot might accidentally touch itself somewhere
without insulation, and zap itself.. I usually give anything with
Electrified Surface enough DR to withstand the full power of
the ES, just to be sure.

>> Also, the design seems to lack Surface Sensors (sense of touch),
>> which can be found in GURPS Robots. Tactile feedback can be quite
>> important in many situations.
> 
> The first time I left out Surface Sensors was because GVB didn't
> include them. The second time I left them out was because when I
> priced them manually, they added $30k to a $90k design, which seemed a
> bit expensive for the benefit offered.
> 

Without Surface Sensors, the robot would be like an elephant in the
porcelaine shop - Operator has a hard time trying adjust the robots
gripping pressure frex, and in the excitement of battle that
ST 50 may result in severe accidental damage to the robots
equipment, much of which has been originally designed for use by
ST 9-12 human beings..

Trying to restrain a prisoner or trying to forcibly move
a non-combatant out of harms way without sense of touch might result
in entirely unnecessary collateral damages.

Also, without surface sensors it may be hard to tell when and
where exactly the robot gets hit.

> 
>> From GURPS Robots; Mannequin Biomorphics or Sculpted option
>> should also be considered, if these robots are to use human armor/clothing.
> 
> I'm not sure that follows; for an example from another setting, I
> don't think skinless Terminators are Sculpted, but they can still wear
> vests or pants.
> 

Terminator Endoskeletons most definitely are sculpted to look
like a skeleton, rather than being built like the ordinarily
blocky factory robots.

Skeleton sculpting costs and weights can be assumed to be
included in the Realistic or Living Flesh biomorphics. Endoskeleton
is simply a terminator without the flesh, a 'bare bones version'.. ;)

> 
>>> P&P: 381,818-kWs advanced battery, 8,727-kWs advanced battery [Head],
>>> 2.5-kW legged drivetrain (no access space) [2xLegs].
> 
>>> Lwt.: 750 lbs.
> 
>>> Operating Duration:  1 D 8 H 5 S.
> 
>>> Volume: 0.2 cf [Right Arm], 0.2 cf [Left Arm], 2.5 cf [Body], 0.4 cf
>>> [Head], 1.5 cf [2xLegs].
> 
>> If you'd like to reduce the designs high density caused by the
>> advanced batteries, you might want to consider using
>> a quiet but effective TL8 Hydrocarbon Fuel Cell (with
>> Ethanol/Methanol fuel) as a main power source, with smaller
>> battery for backup power. (Hydrocarbon fuels have a higher
>> inherent energy density than TL8 batteries.) Self-regenerating
>> cryogenic hydrogen fuel cells might not be practical at this
>> small size, but the same problems would not concern hydrocarbs,
>> which can be easily stored at room temperatures..
> 
> I looked into that, but to make the Proxy light enough to float with
> its (revised) volume, I'd need to get it down to 418 lbs. In addition,
> as best as I can tell, with any of the engines I can find in GVB, the
> batteries provide a greater operating endurance for the weight than
> any of the fuels, so it would make more sense simply to use a smaller
> battery.
> 

Ah, the hydrocarbon cell is in the most excellent (unofficial)
Vehicles 2 additions files. So, the odds are that it is not in GVB..

A quote from Vehicles 2 additions, chapter 7;
*******************************

*Hydrocarbon Fuel Cells* are fuel cells that consume hydrocarbon fuels
and atmospheric oxygen, and exhaust water and carbon dioxide, though
there is usually some intermediate chemistry involving catalytic water
to convert the hydrocarbon to hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide.
Hydrocarbon fuel cells will run on high grade multi-fuel, but not cheap 
ones like diesel, or even most standard gasoline or alcohol mixtures. 
Multiply fuel consumption by 0.8 if using aviation gas, 1.2 if alcohol, 
1.5 if propane or hydrazine, 2.0 if methane. The cell can even run on 
hydrogen, using 1.2 times as much as a hydrogen fuel cell of the same TL.

Fuel Cell Table
7  HC Fuel Cell  no      (30 x kW) + 200   $25  0.10M
8  HC Fuel Cell  15 x kW  (5 x kW) + 50    $10  0.05M
9+ HC Fuel Cell  15 x kW  (5 x kW) + 50     $5  0.04M

*******************************

So, you'd need what, 3 kW:s worth of TL8 HC fuel cells?

That would be 65 Lbs / 1.3 cf, and you can distribute
these cells in body, legs, anywhere you want - They
produce electric current, which can be combined from
multiple sources to fulfill the robots power requirements.

TL8 3kW HC Fuel Cell would use 4.32 gallons of alcohol
fuel in 24h, taking up 0.648 cf of volume and weighing
27.2 Lbs with the tanks. (Note that these same cells
can burn most high-grade hydrocarbon fuels, I just
used alcohol as an example.)

Thus, the entire fully loaded powersystem with tanks
would weigh only 92.2 Lbs with 1 day endurance.


-Pauli
-- 
"Accompanied only by the full moon, howling of
the nightwolf, and the path under my bare feet,
the elvenpath.."
-Nightwish, Angels Fall First: Elvenpath