T20 Mecha Puppy!

[clementk]

Okay, read the T20 Security Robot thread and have been wanting to try my hand at T20 Robot Design anyway. That and Asu* wants a Mecha Puppy.

<Asu> Uh-HUH! KAWAII! Chibi-mecha ai'xiao-gou kunigna aiken! Papii! (scurries around in a circle being all chirpy)

Anywho...I'm thinking of basing the Mecha Puppy on one of the AIBO series from Sony. The ERS-300 which doesn't seem to be available only in Japan. Either it's an older / newer model or just too Kawaii for anywhere else.

<Asu points> ^^ see? KAWAII!!

ERS-300 page

So really all I have is the pictures and the idea for a small dog-like robot pet / p-comp / p-comm. Any ideas etc. are welcome as I'll likely not be able to get to working on a design until Sunday at the earliest and haven't done a robot design in T20 before.

The TL wouldn't have to be too advanced since AIBO is a current robot. Will post more particulars as I think of them.

Thanks in advance,
Casey

* note to self I should post Asu's grav Vespa scooter sometime

[EDIT]Sony's Japan AIBO site has changed. Original image link and info link are broken, added new image link (different image).[/EDIT]

 

[Jame]

Translate "kawaii" for those of us who think it looks suspiciously like "Hawaii," please.

[Looks at site. Goggles!] Uh, uh, uh, it's it's it is it it it is... In JAPANESE!

(Just to be clear, (1.) I mean no insult, so please don't take one and (2.) I can't read or speak Japanese...

 

[far-trader]

Hi Jame,

Cool online tool for you (and me, and others with less than universal translator access or more rounded linguistic experience):

Babelfish

Results aren't always the best but its often enough. It doesn't traslate "kawaii" for example, I'm getting "cool/cute" from the context of the post, could be wrong.

It does a better job with some web pages. Just cut and paste the site address into the line on the translation page, select the appropriate languages (in this case Japanese to English) and hit the translate button, et voila, you get the equivalent of the directions that came with the "some assembly required" item you ordered from the east

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by Jame:
Translate "kawaii" for those of us who think it looks suspiciously like "Hawaii," please.

^_^

kawaii [j] - cute, huggable, awwww*
chibi [j] - super-deformed; see kawaii
mecha [j] - mechanical
ai-xiao [m] - low and small
xiao-gou [m] - puppy
kuninga [v] - animal
aiken [j] - pet dog

j - Japanese
m - Mandarin Chinese
v - Vilani

additional:
papii [j] - puppy

* evidently there is a Hawaiian island named Kawaii however everytime I've heard Kawaii prounced it's been ka-whhhhhyyy not Ka-why-ee

The link to the site was mainly for the pictures as that model seems to be an older one no longer sold in the US or Europe. Personally I think it looks better than the current model. First saw one in a Tommy february6 video.

Some more info:
page 1
240mm x 177mm x 280mm (LWH)
page 2
articulation diagrams

Since a lot of the AIBO info likely won't change that drastically from model to model or country:
AIBO Global site
also I'm not trying to build a duplicate of the AIBO but something like it in the OTU 998. TL wouldn't have to be at much more than 7, I don't need real AI by any means and likely some simulation of a real yip dog should be enough.

Random Chibi artwork warning slow loading file
b&w version that loads faster

HTH,
Casey (who watched Dr. Who and BSG as a kid as if that wasn't obvious)

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by far-trader:
Babelfish

Results aren't always the best but its often enough. It doesn't traslate "kawaii" for example, I'm getting "cool/cute" from the context of the post, could be wrong.

Actually the Babelfish translates to and from languages like Japanese or Mandarin Chinese only using the original characters (kanji or hanzi) from what I can tell. Useful in producing said characters though かわいい or 【可愛い】 [かわいい] are not as useful as kawaii for something like CotI. Babelfish doesn't seem to have a Romanization standard implemented yet.

I mainly use this site for Japanese though it does have some quirks and have several Mandarin Chinese sites listed on the Firefly RPG thread .

Casey

[EDIT] wow the kanji paste worked; the second block (the two words in brackets) are from the EDICT site though I suspect you need a Japanese language support file installed. Babelfish translates the kanji for kawaii produced by feeding it cute in English back into English as "It is lovely".

[/EDIT]

 

[clementk]

Been playing around with the vehicle and computer spreadsheets a bit and aside from Traveller's TL assumptions (which make even the AIBO impossible) the main thing I'm running up against is the size. Right now I'm getting about 40vl for the body sans computer and 46vl for the compy. Way too big for an AIBO sized dog. Granted this is my first attempt at a robot design and haven't used the vehicle one a whole lot.

In the end I may just handwave the vl and I'm already up to TL11 and don't really want to go up any higher.

One question about skill programs, what is the use of something like spot when robots don't have wisdom or do you just add +rank in skill program to 10? In general I'm finding the stat / skill programs to be very prohibative. Real tough making a kawaii 'lil pup though I am thinking of just adding a + to the CHA based on Size tiny etc. .

Casey

 

[Jame]

Thank you! Oddly, I think I knew there was a Hawaiian Is Land (think about it!) named Kawaii, but never connected them...

 

[clementk]

Cyberpuppy™ from Ling-Standard Products

Base model:
(LSP-GPR-1879B)
comes with simplified Aide, low base logic, limited verbal command, one “coat”, one language module and ability to understand basic commands in that language, ability to speak in “dogspeak”
TL: 11, Cr150, 1.5vl
Tiny
Str 14, Dex 15, Wis 0, Int 3, Cha 14, Edu 4, Soc 0
Initiative: +2 Agility: +2 AC: 14 AR: 0 SI: 3
Off-road: 14.4 kph, Very Slow: 2.88 kph, Slow: 7.2 kph, Cruising: 14.4 kph, Fast: 21.6 kph, Maximum: 28.8 kph. Standard Acceleration: 2.88 kph, Maximum Acceleration: 8.64 kph.
Weight: 1.5 kg Dimensions: 177 x 280 x 240 mm (w/h/d)
operational for 48 hours without recharge

Deluxe model:
(LSP-GPR-1883TS)
all of the above features with more storage, a different body, and radio module
TL: 11, Cr350, 1.59vl
Tiny
Str 14, Dex 15, Wis 0, Int 3, Cha 14, Edu 5, Soc 0
Initiative: +2 Agility: +2 AC: 14 AR: 0 SI: 4
Off-road: 14.4 kph, Very Slow: 2.88 kph, Slow: 7.2 kph, Cruising: 14.4 kph, Fast: 21.6 kph, Maximum: 28.8 kph. Standard Acceleration: 2.88 kph, Maximum Acceleration: 8.64 kph.
Weight: 1.59 kg Dimensions: 180 x 278 x 319 mm (w/h/d)
operational for 48 hours without recharge

Options
ChameleonKote: Cr160, self-cleaning version Cr425; acts like SmartPaint allowing owner to change the Cyberpuppy’s coat color, comes with 20 preset coats; programmable coats
Radio Module: Cr100 (Short-Range Communicator, included in deluxe model)
Voder Module: Cr600; allows Cyberpuppy to speak basic phrases in whatever language modules are installed
additional Batterypack: Cr75
additional ChameleonKote coats: Cr10, packs of 5 coats for Cr40
additional Language Modules: Cr100; only two may be in storage at any one time
additional Storagepacks for built in Aide: Cr60

Casey
[EDIT]Minor corrections to Dex, Init, Agility[/EDIT]

 

[clementk]

Ling-Standard Products Cyberpuppy Whitepaper

Design Model:

The Cyberpuppy™ from Ling-Standard Products is designed as a personal toy "pet" robot for lower TL locations, space colonies, for Travellers and spaceship crew and for such worlds as vacc, water, high population or other living environments where space is limited or having a live pet is not feasible.

The design is of a small robot that fits in most quarters and allows for say a child or busy worker who forgets to charge up the robot overnight. There are two models along with accessories allowing for a wide range of affordability along with customization and expandability tailored towards affection for a pet animal.

Inspiration:

The Base model (LSP-GPR-1879B) is based upon Sony’s Entertainment Robot Aibo model ERS-300/ ERS-311B ivory (or Latte) and ERS-312B caramel Brown picture here which uses a pug dog form factor.

The Deluxe model (LSP-GPR-1883TS) is based upon Sony’s Entertainment Robot Aibo model ERS-7
pic 1 pic 2
which uses a something like a beagle or cocker spaniel form factor.

More ERS-7 pictures here

Sony Japan's ERS page

Notes on use:

For in game use I’d suggest modeling it on the AIBO along with whatever Sci-Fi robot animals you like. I did not model the AIBO 100% though. Mainly to lower cost, sidestep the T20 robot design process which seems geared for larger and more functional robots at a much higher cost, and modeled as a distant descendant of the Animal Companion robot from T4 and Milieu 0. Memory storage is left purposely nebulous to allow for IMTU variations.

Note: for an interesting read translate this page from Japanese via Babelfish

Disclaimer: Not affiliated with Sony or even have one of these pricey pups.

Casey

 

[shar_leigh]

My reporter, Siofra 'da elf', just purchased two of them for a traveller campaign. Hope to have much fun with them although the ones i purchased look like the ERS-7 version. To me that is much cuter. Now to look into details about increased storage, etc. And best of all...they are housetrained...or would that be ship trained. Either way i don't have to pick up any biological messes.

- shar_leigh

 

[Liam Devlin]

Sir Casey--
Good work again! This ought to be a useful addition, not to mention a TL-8/9 early robot "pet" for Traveller time lines [nice touch the additional upgrades!]

respectfully
orders one for Ship Mascot asap!,