Custom Vehicle/Robotic Software

[Terry Mixon]

Since I've made some construction fabricators, I started looking at the available software and realized that some existing programs could hint at derivative custom software that would serve that field and wanted to toss them out to see what people thought.

Starting from the top down, the Tactical Battle System could easily be a model for a construction job, or even multiple jobs. Here is the description of the software cribbed from the book (original) and tweaked (new) for this new task.

TACTICAL BATTLE SYSTEM
Tactical Battle System is software displays and simulates data for combined arms operations from the tactical to theatre level, or for a commander coordinating units from a company to an army in size. It runs high-level simulations and makes predictions to advise officers as to the correct course of action. Any Traveller using Battle System gains a DM to Tactics (military) checks equal to the Tactical Battle System score (so, Tactical Battle System/2 grants DM+2).

Becomes:

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Construction Management System is software that displays and simulates data for construction projects from the smallest single site job to the largest multi-site project, or for a project manager coordinating crews from the size of a small team to what amounts to an army in size. It runs high-level simulations and makes predictions to advise project managers as to the correct course of action. Any Traveller using the Construction Management System gains a DM to Profession (project management) checks equal to the Construction Management System score (so, Construction Management System/2 grants DM+2).

The software bandwidth and cost remains the same.



BATTLE NETWORK
The Battle Network package enables a vehicle to hand off target sensor detection data to vehicles or gun emplacements within the range of the software. This range is also limited by the Battle Network computer’s vehicle sensors effective range to a target and the hand-off vehicle’s range; both transmitter and receiver must have the target within range. A vehicle can also transfer target data to the Battle Network’s computer and that central computer can retransmit it to other vehicles. Each transfer requires a combat round, so if a remote vehicle transfers data to the Battle Network during one round, the software disseminates the data in the following round and in the round after that, all vehicles within range will have received the sensor data and can attack the target.

Becomes:

PROJECT NETWORK
The Project Network package enables a construction vehicle or crews to hand off sensor data to other construction vehicles or crews within the range of the software. This range is also limited by the Project Network computer’s vehicle sensors effective range to a target and the hand-off vehicle’s range; both transmitter and receiver must have the zone of work within range. A vehicle can transfer detailed data to the Project Network’s computer at high speed and that central computer can retransmit it to other vehicles. Such a transfer takes place continuously, so all vehicles are seeing things in almost real time.

The range of the software is divided by 100 but the price remains the same because the software has to be robust enough to transmit and receive extremely detailed scan data in a high-speed stream and send it back out with almost no delay. The end effect is that multiple crews or construction vehicles working on something are seeing what is happening as it happens and can react accordingly.



The final piece of software needs little modification.

SENSOP
The Sensop package allows the automation of sensor operator work. This allows the package to perform one Electronic (sensors) task in a combat round at the indicated level. Multiple instances of Sensop can run to allow multiple independent tasks to be conducted. The software can operate sensors to detect objects, perform electronic warfare actions using an ECM system, or pass off sensor information in conjunction with Battle Network software. High-level versions of Sensop can also divide tasks among multiple sensors in the same manner as Weaponry software (see page 93).

In this case, it is the source of the high-fidelity sensor data stream of what is happening at every site and work area.

SENSOP
The Sensop package allows the automation of sensor operator work. This allows the package to provide a high speed, high-fidelity sensor data stream to other vehciles, work crews, the Project Network, and the Construction Management System. Multiple instances of Sensop can run to allow multiple independent tasks to be conducted.



This software can be used as is:



Thoughts?

 

[rinku]

Good ideas as always, Terry.

You could run a cheaper Agent program and probably get by with it instead of Sensop/0, with its main job being doing the actual Electronics (Computer) tasks that a worksite would probably need. But as soon as higher level observation is needed, you want something like this.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Good ideas as always, Terry.

You could run a cheaper Agent program and probably get by with it instead of Sensop/0, with its main job being doing the actual Electronics (Computer) tasks that a worksite would probably need. But as soon as higher level observation is needed, you want something like this.

Thanks. Agreed on the small site use of Agent.

 

[Galadrion]

Hm. Visualize, if you will, a ship, running the appropriate software and carrying/supporting swarms of construction robots...

You'd have a bootstrap infrastructure fabricator for either a colonization effort or large-scale construction projects. A 200 dT TL12 ship could pretty much build you a decent downport independently while waiting for the actual colonization effort to arrive, and then move on to building other needed infrastructure. Or if it was planned that way, it could be a subcraft and considered a permanent part of the colonization effort equipment.

Add another about the same size optimized for resource harvesting/mining, and you could slash the time for establishing a colony dramatically - basically, you'd be limited by how fast you could recruit, train, and transport colonists.

 

[mavikfelna]

Hm. Visualize, if you will, a ship, running the appropriate software and carrying/supporting swarms of construction robots...

You'd have a bootstrap infrastructure fabricator for either a colonization effort or large-scale construction projects. A 200 dT TL12 ship could pretty much build you a decent downport independently while waiting for the actual colonization effort to arrive, and then move on to building other needed infrastructure. Or if it was planned that way, it could be a subcraft and considered a permanent part of the colonization effort equipment.

Add another about the same size optimized for resource harvesting/mining, and you could slash the time for establishing a colony dramatically - basically, you'd be limited by how fast you could recruit, train, and transport colonists.

That is essentially the idea we were discussing, using fabs to bootstrap a location.

 

[rinku]

Page 96 of the RHB has you covered as far as rapid "recruitment" for a colony goes...

 

[Endie]

Brilliant, @Terry Mixon ! It so happens that I was looking at my newly-arrived Armies of the FFW today, at the battle management system chart, and thinking "yes, but what is the in-game effect?" Fortunately, you were less lazy than me.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Brilliant, @Terry Mixon ! It so happens that I was looking at my newly-arrived Armies of the FFW today, at the battle management system chart, and thinking "yes, but what is the in-game effect?" Fortunately, you were less lazy than me.

I don't know about being less lazy. This just made sense to me, and it works like that for war, I'd imagine.

I simply needed to know how groups of these could work together.

https://terrymixon.com/Vehicles/MixCorp's Vehicle Designs.html

 

[Terry Mixon]

Construction Project Manager Brain



Construction Swarm Controller Brain



Construction Drone Controller Brain