Sophonts remote-controllong Robots

[Golan2072]

While LBB8 makes a passing notice of Zhodani "mentally flipping" switches within their 'bots, it mostly deals with dumber robots with Slave Units being controlled by smarter ribots with Master Units. Now, what about remote control by sophonts?

I think that a low-TL remote control (as used IRL - that is, TL7 - for unmanned aircraft) would have some limits due to the limits of the interface and to sophont reaction speeds (which are slower than those of a proto-AI, especially as you need to pass the command from your brain to your hand to the interface).

Higher TLs would probably have direct neural links (DNLs), similar to Shadowrun "rigging"; these would significantly cut response times and would allow full control of a robot.

What do you think about that? And what rule implications do you suggest?

 

[mike wightman]

If it's remote controlled than it's not a robot in my book
Robots should be autonomous, not needing operator control.

The UCAVs in design now don't need a remote controller... they have them to provide an overwatch function, just in case anything goes wrong.

For remote operated vehicles I would build in a negative mod based on distance from the operator, and in the event of signal jamming some sort of default parameters.

I'd also go with the TNE tech scale rather than CT.

 

[Whipsnade]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
If it's remote controlled than it's not a robot in my book
Robots should be autonomous, not needing operator control.

Sigg,

What about the two Mars rovers then?

Given the comm lag involved, no one at JPL is actively driving them like some interplanetary version of Grand Turismo. Yet, the rovers do nothing with human guidance or orders.

They move from point A to point B independently, but they don't 'choose' to make the trip. Are they robots? Are they drones? Are they somthing in between?

I see a LOT of grey areas in this question.


Have fun,
Bill