Jarred Thoran Posted August 6, 2017 Posted August 6, 2017 ((Shuttlebay, USS Atlantis)) :: They were checking the code, and at least that put some of their doubts at ease. But they were certainly not a welcoming public, and Olin was a bit frustrated. They openly distrusted his demonstration about the robotic... instinct. Maybe if they were able to run their own experiments with the robots... He looked at the shuttle. There was, of course, their best model. It was technically impressive and totally multipurpose. But a bit too alien for some. :: Olin: Ah, of course. There is a new model I haven't shown you yet. Udro: New model? How does it differ from the ones we have seen? Olin: Not much in the programming, but a lot in structure. This one is multipurpose. Udro: If we may have a quick moment to discuss, we would be happy to see your final product. :: His eyes reduced to a slit, considering whether they had already reached a decision and were just planning how to tell him. But there was little he could do about it either way. :: Olin: Of course, of course. I will get the new model, meanwhile. :: Leaving them to conspire in a small group, Olin went to the shuttle. Labetha was there, playing with something, and Olin doubted for a second. Labetha was an autistic child (well, she was 17, not a child anymore, but anyway). But she was a robotics genius, and had come a great part in designing their current line of robots. Showing her work always had a great impact. But it was a wild card. Let's first show them the base for her work, and then we'll see. :: :: He grabbed a big box and downloaded it from the shuttle. Then two similar ones, and finally a small suitcase, with three spherical components, the size of his fist, together with a PADD for control. Once on the shuttlebay, he opened one of the boxes, which completely retracted. Inside, there was a dense grey mass. It was called Biomechanical Multipurpose Gel. Some company workers called it goo, but the marketing department had made it very clear that nickname had to be kept in private. With it ready, he just waited for the team to approach. :: Udro: What is it? Pond: Wow, that looks cool. Olin: Thanks. I present you the Biomechanical Multipurpose Gel. By itself, it's just a gel with components similar to the ones from the other robots. They have no processors, so don't interpret it as a nanite mass. :: He pulled one of the balls from the suitcase, and showed it to them. :: Olin: Now, this is the processor. You can check the programming later. And with this PADD you can change the basic functions. :: He left the sphere on the gel, and pressed a few commands on the PADD. The ball slowly sank into the gel, and the gel got lit in a brownish pulsating color, looking as a brownish core inside a grey net. After he pressed another command, the gel started to take a humanoid form, one similar to the security robot he had previously showed them. :: Udro: Astounding .. so it could be any of the robots you have shown us? Olin: Correct. Although we do sell this model, most buyers are looking for a particular use. In this case, our other models are more specialized, and cheaper. But we use the multipurpose gel to design them, and then when we see a model we consider practical, we redesign it with more standard pieces. :: He looked at the rest of the group, in case they had further questions. :: Pond: How does it work? Olin: Think of the components of the gel as cells. They can be repurposed on need for specialized functions. So, for example, the ocular components are now working as a receptors, while the external layer has become a hardened surface. Feel free to touch it to check for consistency. Oswald: Interesting, very interesting. Olin: Right now, it has the same programming the security model has. That's the point, using this, you can change the programming in the central processor. :: He pointed at the gel humanoid and entered a few commands. The gel compacted again into a box, and then a small portion of it climbed out in the form of the spiderlike engineering bots. :: Olin: Of course, they are not limited to the current models. And, as this model shows, they are not limited in size. They can walk out leaving part of the element behind. Or several materials can be joined to form a larger one. :: After a few commands, the spider itself walked to the other two boxes, opening them. Then it returned to the central box, which started to crawl towards the other two. Once they were touching each other, the whole mass started to take form. :: Udro: What are the limits of this ability? Olin: Of course, that would depend on your needs. We usually sell one of these boxes, which contains a hundred... litres. A bit over the average volume of a humanoid. :: He struggled for a second trying to remember the right units the Federation used, according to the information he had on them. :: Olin: A single processor can seamlessly control around five hundred litres. We generally don't recommend building robots larger than that, but the programming to do so does exist, and it allows the linking of several processor spheres. Pond: Could we do whatever we want with that gel? Olin: We also sell the tools for limited... reprogramming. That is, to use the gel to design new robots. I am not an expert on that subject, but they basically allow for direct sculpting and programming by assigned body parts. I can ready a demonstration if needed. :: That was the very reason why he took Labetha with him. On that aspect, she was an artist. But maybe they were impressed with what they had seen. :: Udro: Your demonstration thus far speaks for itself. Froid Olin - Taventa Robotics Representative as simmed by Lieutenant E'riQ, son of Lo'PeH - HCO - USS Blackwell, Andaris Task Force PotW facilitator D238701JV0
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