1,001 Characters #21: Minty

21. "Minty"  Robot Navigator     Age 10      2.5 Terms

Skills: Navigation-1

Benefits: None

    "Minty" is an OR3O series general purpose robot programmed to function as a ship's navigator (Navigation-1). His name was given to him by his previous owner, who had him spray painted a mint green colour. "Minty" has served as ship's navigator for about 10 years, his mint green finish shows signs of wear and tear with patches of silver showing through. 

    The navigation program uses up pretty much all of Minty's programming capacity, which leaves him little or no ability in other areas. As a result he seems to have a one track mind, focused almost exclusively on navigation and astrogation and anything relating to them. 

    

Referee: I used the robot creation rules in The Best of JTAS Volume 1. 

    This one is a little harder for people without the JTAS articles to use. One option is to use the animal creation tables to design a robot. In Minty's case I would treat him as a herbivore/intermittent, since he doesn't need to spend most of his time performing his task (navigation) and I think of him as being a bit cowardly. He'd mass about 75kg, with 4.5D/2D hits, no wounds modifier. Weapons = Hands +1. Armour = Cloth. Characteristics should be rolled as usual for any animal, giving the chance to attack or flee, and speed. 

OR3NAV robot navigator

Herbivore/Intermittent    Hits 19/6     Hands+1     Cloth    F 5+ A 5+ S 1

    "Minty" could be  found almost anywhere as a second hand robot (When new, Minty cost Cr104,350), he's ten years old and won't fetch the same price as a new model, so I leave pricing up to the referee. He could also be won in a game of chance. 

    The OR3O series is the third produced by Omni Robotics Corporation on Telmun. They are general purpose robots that can be programmed for a variety of roles. The basic model is humanoid in shape, but clearly robotic in nature. Usually finished in a metallic grey, silver or gold colour, they are often given custom colours before and after market.

    Omni Robotics' designations all begin with OR for Omni Robotics, followed by the series number and the letter O for original, as in unprogrammed. This designation is followed by an individual unit number. Minty's factory designation was OR3O-1538. Prior to purchase each robot is programmed with the customers choice and re-designated according to their new role. Minty left the shop as OR3NAV-47 as he was the 47th series three to be programmed as a ship's navigator.

    OR3O robots have the standard two legs and two (light) work arms of most humanoid robots. They come with a standard HydrOx PPA20 power plant providing for 30 days continuous activity before recharging, an ORB2 Robotic Brain, allows the limited programming options (see below), a basic sensor package including auditory, visual and olfactory sensors comparable to human senses, standard frequency single channel radio and a voder/vocoder unit for speech and speech recognition. This design allows for 20kgs of storage space in several small compartments. OR3O robots mass 73kg (not including anything stored in compartments). Cost is Cr103,850 new (not including programming).

Programming: OR3O robots come pre-programmed to the customers specifications, within the limits of the robots programming capacity. This usually means the OR3O will have expertise in one or perhaps two areas. (Capacity of 2 and Navigation uses 2).

Design choices:

Chassis    Total Mass     Chassis Mass        Cost

Type II      75kg                8kg                     Cr950

PowerPlant    Mass        Output                  Cost

A                    10kg            20                       Cr600

Locomotion    Mass        Power Req.           Cost

Legs II            23kg        12                         Cr800 

 Brain               Programming Cap.    Mass        Cost   

TL12                    2                                8kg        Cr100,000

Sensors                            Mass            Power Req.        Cost

Basic Sensor Package     2kg                    1                    Cr200

Comms                            Mass            Power Req.        Cost

Standard Freq Radio      1kg                1                        Cr100 

Voder/Vocoder                  1kg                2                        Cr200

Work Arms                  Mass                Power Req.            Cost                  

light x2                        10kg                   4                        Cr1000

Programming        Space         Cost

Navigation-1         2                Cr500

20kg of space

Minty when he was brand new, before the paint job: