Shipboard robots
Modern life is supported by a vast variety of robots, many of which go completely unnoticed. Life in space is no exception: robots preceded humans into space, and are as vital there today as they have ever been.
The Sika Robotics NTF series, in World Union service as the PR-7 Repair Robot, is one of the most common robots both on Earth and off it. The Yokohama-based Sika Robotics specialises in household appliances and commercial robots, and its six-wheeled, calf-height NTF robots are a near-ubiquitous sight in major cities, performing “last mile” delivery services for everything from post to takeaway food. The NTF is also highly-customisable: hospitals have retrofitted its large storage compartment to house refrigeration systems to enable the delivery of medicines to both in- and outpatients. The Space Patrol Service has purchased a large number of NTFs, modified with magnetic wheels, to serve aboard ship as couriers or as mounts for cleaning, sensor, and maintenance equipment. Civilian shipping firms and pirate groups have followed suit and adapted NTFs to perform simple repairs and maintenance, though they are generally less effective in this role than dedicated repair robots. Thanks to Sika Robotics’ “friendly machines” design philosophy, the NTF series is generally regarded as cute and endearing, with many comparing it to a domesticated rodent such as a rabbit or a guinea pig.
The Industrial Robotics Tesibius S-3, in World Union service as the PR-2, is the most common maintenance robot in the Space Patrol Service. A squat, cylindrical robot that stands 90 centimetres tall, the PR-2 is affectionately nicknamed “the Dustbin” by spacers, and is equipped with a vast variety of diagnostic and repair tools. The Tesibius’ digital library can contain the specifications of up to 1,000 World Union ships and vehicles, and it has sufficient AI to identify and treat the vast majority of common maintenance issues without explicit instruction. The Tesibius typically travels on a pair of magnetised treads, but these can be replaced in favour of cold gas thrusters for manoeuvring in microgravity. Renowned for its wide range of high-precision but “no-frills” maintenance, labour, and manufacturing robots, the California-based Industrial Robotics is one of the “Big Two” robot manufacturers along with Solaria AG, with which it dominates 60% of the Solar System’s robot market. The Archytas S-1 is a cheaper, civilianised version of the Tesibius that is optimised to repair cars, buses, and other civilian vehicles, and has become a common sight in garages across the Solar System.
Major damage that is beyond the capabilities of the diminutive Tesibius robots is the province of the Hyneman Corporation’s Golem Mk. 2, in service as the PR-3 Heavy Maintenance Robot. The Hyneman Corporation is renowned for its heavy industrial and labour lines, of which the Golem is representative: originally designed for work in shipyards, the Golem stands 1.1 metres tall on six legs, and is equipped with a suite of analysis, manipulation, and welding tools. Rated for both atmosphere and vacuum, the Golem’s six-legged design allows its to form a solid, stable tripod while its remaining limbs conduct work with a delicacy that belies its hulking appearance. Most Patrol ships are equipped with two or three Golems to support a larger fleet of Tesibius robots.
Space and mass is at a premium aboard ship, and accordingly, vessels are highly dependent on recycling and reusing waste to continue operations. This is supported by the Hyneman Corporation’s Skrep Mk. 3 recycling robot, in service as the PR-5. Effectively a mobile waste bin, the Skrep automatically sorts organic and inorganic waste before taking it to the ship’s central recycling and fabricator facility for reuse, moving on magnetic treads or cold gas thrusters. Fabricators are the backbone of the modern Solar System’s manufacturing base, and are capable of manipulating metals, plastics, fabric, foodstuffs, and biological materials in multiple combinations at once. Fabricators allow ships to produce approximately 90% of spare parts in situ. The exceptions are complex or controlled substances like fuels or explosives, or products requiring a highly-specialised, controlled manufacturing environment like quantum chips or superconductors.
Patrol boarding actions are supported by the Lochhead Corporation’s Robin MQ.7 recovery drone. Comparable in size to the manpacked drones used by the Deployable Operations Group, Robin drones precede boarding teams into disabled ships, searching for damage, bodies, or booby traps. Equipped with both cold gas thrusters and EHD lifter engines, the diminutive Robin can operate in both vacuum and in atmosphere. Unlike most drones, the Robin is equipped with a pair of manipulator arms for clearing debris or recovering bodies.
Virtually all spacecraft are equipped with one or more external manipulator arms for cargo handling or external maintenance while the ship is underway. The Patrol standard robotic arm is the Industrial Robotics CDM-18, in service as the PR-10 Mobile Servicing System. The CDM-18 integrates with standard grapple fixtures, allowing it to “walk” along the outside of the ship, as well as handle shipping containers. It can also be equipped with a multi-arm end effector for more precise work and maintenance.
Most robots are unable to speak, engaging with humans through text on linked devices. When they engage with other machines, they typically rely on wireless networks, universal buses, or data-over-sound protocols (those who have worked with robots for some time often claim to be able to understand the beeping, chirping language). The exception to this is robots that work directly with humans, of which the exemplar is the Dextrous Robotics’ Grayson: a light labour android that is intended to complement human workers, the Grayson stands 1.75 metres in height on digitigrade legs, weighs 65 kilograms, and is capable of lifting up to 25 kilograms. The Grayson has limited artificial intelligence and is best suited for menial, tiring, and repetitive jobs, but its machine-learning software allows it to swiftly understand an unfamiliar environment, and it can be fully integrated into a digital stock management system. The Grayson has an endurance of around six hours before requiring charging, though this can be tripled with the addition of a back-mounted battery pack. The Grayson generally sees use in warehouses and construction sites, and a microgravity-modified variant is in Patrol service as the PR-8: equipped with magnetic feet designed to lock into deck brackets and a specialised maintenance package, the PR-8 is designed to perform all tasks required of a crewmember both inside and outside a spacecraft.
Life in microgravity requires an intensive diet and supplement plan to prevent muscle and bone atrophy. The Industrial Robotics CHF-15 catering robot, in Patrol service as the PR-4, is designed for food production on a large scale. A common sight aboard passenger liners and in Patrol mess halls, the CHF-15 draws data from crew and passenger fitness trackers, altering menus and supplement profiles accordingly. The six-armed robot lacks the ability to cook for itself, but can select and reheat a wide variety of prepackaged foods and rations according to individual nutritional requirements. The CHF series is programmed with only 120 individual meal combinations, and while Industrial Robotics insists that this is sufficient to ensure a varied diet, this and the quality of rations it serves have earned the CHF a poor reputation within the Space Patrol Service.