Robots

Robots are a common sight and accepted fact of daily life within Eclipse Phase. Numerous varieties exist, from robopets to mechanical workers to warbots. If a job can be done more cheaply (and sometimes safely) by a bot, it usually is. The robots listed here are not generally used as synthetic shells by transhuman egos, often for cultural reasons (sleeving a case is bad enough, sleeving a creepy is just … weird), and they are not equipped to be sleeved into, though they can be remotely operated. Any of these bots can be modified for use as a synthetic morph, however, by adding a cyberbrain system.

Most robots are intentionally built in non-humanoid forms so as not to confuse them with common synthmorphs and to defuse subconscious guilt transhumans might have at ordering anthropomorphic entities around. However, they all have some form of abstract “face” to interact with, so as not to be too machine-like.

Robot Ware

All robots are equipped with the same sensory systems you get with every morph: standard vision, hearing, touch, proprioception, balance, and so on — sometimes even smell. They are also all equipped with standard ware that facilitates their function, noted below. Individual bots have their own distinct ware payloads, as noted in their description. You may also modify bots with additional ware, just like a synthmorph. Some also use vehicle hardware.

Remote Operations

Any shell or biomorph with a puppet sock (included in most cyberbrains) can be remote controlled, either by a character or an AI. This requires a communications link between the teleoperator and the drone. The teleoperator controls the drone via entoptic interface and receives sensory input and other data via the drone’s mesh inserts.

You can control a drone in autonomous mode or directly by jamming.

Autonomous Mode

Bot and vehicle shells are equipped with Bot/Vehicle ALIs. In autonomous mode, the drone’s AI operates on its own, though it also follows commands issued verbally or via a communications link or entoptic control panel by an authorized entity. Issuing a one-sentence command is a mental quick action; commands can be issued to multiple drones at once. More complex commands may take longer, or can be prepared in advance with a Program Test. The AI may need to pass a COG Check to understand especially confusing or incomplete commands.

Autonomous drones use their own Initiative, skills, and pools.

Jamming

You jam a drone by immersing yourself in an AR overlay of the drone’s body and sensorium, including proprioception — you essentially become the drone. Engaging or disengaging from jamming mode is a quick action. While immersed, you suffer a −30 modifier to Perceive Tests and physical actions involving your own morph. Jamming feels much like resleeving and you must make an Integration Test to acclimate to the drone’s form.

Treat jamming the same as if you sleeved the drone; use the drone's pools instead of your own morph's. However, since jamming is slightly inferior to actual sleeving, you suffer a −10 modifier to all actions (unless you are equipped with drone rig ware).

Combat Bots

These bots are useful for security, defense, and combat applications.

Guardian Angel: Similar to gnats, guardian angels are larger rotorcraft used for defensive purposes. They hover around their charges, keeping a watchful eye out to protect them from threats.

Parisphere: Named after the Trojan hero Paris, who slew Achilles with an arrow, this orb-like spacecraft is little more than a weapons pod built around a rocket. Lacking a pilot, these fighter drones can pull high-g maneuvers.

Sentry: Many varieties of sentry bots exist, but common models maneuver on four multi-directional smart treads. Used throughout the Solar System for policing and security purposes, they are loaded with armor and weapons.

Shield Drone: These tracked drones essentially function as large ballistic shields and movable cover for special ops teams. They provide AV +6/+12 to anyone using them for cover. The bot itself is little more than a platform (treat as small size if targeted directly).

Exploration Bots

Designed for gatecrashing, these bots are also handy in other places.

Explorenaut: These small-sized bots travel on smart treads or with thrust-vector jets. They are loaded with sensors and favored for gatecrashing and similar exploration ops. A pair of manipulator arms are used for taking samples.

Squishbot: These small, amorphous bots are soft, with a smart-material liquid matrix interior and extensible skin. They can extrude tentacle-like limbs for walking and manipulating, roll as a ball, and squeeze through tight, confining spaces.

Medical Bots

These bots are literal life savers.

Docbot: These wheeled medical robots are designed to tend to and transport injured or sick people. They carry a fabber for medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, miscellaneous medical gear, a secure container for carrying heads, and 4–8 articulated arms for conducting remote surgery. They are often loaded up with healing spray and meds (acquired separately).

Retriever: Designed much like a smaller flying car with a pair of manipulator arms, this bot handles search-and-rescue ops. It tracks down survivors and rescues them from dangers, carrying the injured back to safety. It can hold one medium-sized transhuman.

Personal Bots

Personal bots are worn or found throughout transhuman habitats.

Creepy: Creepies come in an eclectic variety of forms, from robo-squirrels to insectoids to bizarre artsy mechanical creatures. Creepies were originally designed as a robotic pet, but are commonly used as a general-purpose household minion, like a more beloved servitor. Many people wear a creepy on their person, dropping it to handle small tasks for them and letting it crawl up, down, and over their body.

Manipulator: This bot takes the form of an extra limb and a supportive band, bracing frame, rig, or cuff for wearing it. The manipulator can be meshed and treated as an extension of your body or detached for autonomous operation or remote control. Though human arm designs are common, a variety of limb designs are available, from claws to tentacles. Treat as a cyberlimb plus when worn.

Servitor: Servitors are the most common robot, acting as cooks, janitors, universal helpers, movers, and personal aides. Every home has one, if not several. They come in a variety of non-humanoid shapes and sizes, though most are medium sized, with 4–8 limbs on average.

Spider Hand: This hand-shaped bot scurries like a spider. It functions as a detachable hand for a cyberarm, though it is sometimes used by uplifts or other morphs who need a hand design for certain tasks. Its “legs” are more articulated than human fingers and can rotate/bend in any direction. Though this bot does not have the leverage of a full arm/body behind it, it can extend a meter-long brace for stabilization and support.

Recon/Surveillance Bots

Eyes in the sky remain one of the main uses of robots.

Aerostat: Aerostats are balloons, relying on buoyant gases for lift in atmospheres, maneuvering with turbofans. Their low signature and longevity make them ideal for high-altitude surveillance, research, or gas mining.

Gnat: Gnats are small rotorcraft camera/surveillance drones. Many people use gnats for personal lifelogging, while socialites and media use them to capture the glamour or hottest news.

Saucer: These disc-shaped drones are lightweight and quiet. They are typically launched by throwing them like a frisbee, after which they propel themselves with an ionic drive. Saucers make excellent “eye in the sky” monitors and scouts.

Speck: Specks are very small insectoid spy drones, roughly the size of a small fruit fly. They fly with tiny wings and are excellent for surveillance purposes or otherwise being a “speck on a wall.” Specks are difficult to notice (−30 Perceive modifier) and almost impossible to distinguish from an actual insect.

Zephyr: Zephyrs are medium-sized but light stealth planes, often thrown to launch, used for long-distance recon or missile strikes.

Utility Bots

These bots help get things done.

Automech: Automechs are general-purpose repair drones, found just about everywhere. Each specializes in a particular type of repair work and is equipped with the appropriate tools and ALI skills, whether it be electronics, habitat systems, or spacecraft repair. Standard automechs are wheeled cubes with 4–8 retractable and articulated limbs, though they are also equipped with vectored-thrust drives for zero-g work.

Barracuda: This undersea utility drone is fielded for exploration, service, and repair functions. It is shaped like a miniature submarine, with a pair of retractable arms.

Dwarf: These large industrial bots are named not just for their primary use — mining, excavation, tunneling, and construction — but because the default AIs they shipped with had a programmed tendency to happily whistle as they worked. Dwarfs are quadrupedal walkers, equipped with massive modular industrial tools like boring drills, shovels, hydraulic jacks, jackhammers, scooping arms, acid sprays, and so on.

Robomule: These six-legged cargo drones are designed to carry large, non-portable gear, such as servers, healing vats, tool shops, etc. They also serve as general-purpose supply drones, with smart-material straps and webbing to hold items and an envirosealed pod to protect its load from the environment.