T20 Sensor Operations...

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Can anyone conjecture about the use of Sensors for activities that fall outside the realm of ship related tasks? I realize that there is some measure of generalization when using the word "sensor", and as far as I know, later versions of Traveller break it up into specific kinds (EM, Neutrino, etc.) but in T20, it seems to be primarily Ship related. Any thoughts? Opinions? hmmm?

 

[Liam Devlin]

For one thing, Old stick, Neural sensors (TL-D) are utilized by both IISS and Safari types alike--Looking for life signs/ lifeforms..

We were brainstorming a SAR selfpropelled Low AI-Medical evacuation/rescue bot the other night, wondering what sort of sensor package the beastie would have... (Say in an environment inimical to using Low tech search dogs)..
Like an Olfactory suite/ optical ?holodynamic links, etc.. (this is with T@0 stuff now, mind ye).
We designed something (between six of us) resembling a grav train powered Crayfish/Lobster of 2.3 m long, with could scoop up and carry off up to 2 Humans..
(Now to muddle through several pages of T20 design stuff to make sure it all "works"..
Seems a gamer wanted to play a robot a PC...and it went from there... .
Those are some ideas.

The neural sweepers can also be used for searching out nasty stow away lifeforms, or just plain nuisance stowaways.. (or hijackers smuggled aboard/ illegal aliens in cargo pod containers (look at RL fer examples on ships/ air/ sea..)

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

That's a big Crayfish, Milord! So do these neural sensors work by reading the brainwaves or bioelectric fields of beings?

 

[Borodin]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran:
That's a big Crayfish, Milord! So do these neural sensors work by reading the brainwaves or bioelectric fields of beings?

Per the THB, 'Neural activity sensors can be used to detect lifeforms within range of the system, and classify them based on their level of brain activity.'

So it sounds to me like they detect the electromagnetic waves generated by the brain's weak bio-electric currents. It sounds like they would be unable to differentiate between a dog and a cat, or possibly a chimpanzee and a dolphin, but it would tell you something was thinking over there. Of course, I would think it would be unable to pick up, for example, a jellyfish.

 

[JeffSandmeier]

I would think that, given the description, the neural activity sensors would at least be able to classify the target as either sentient or non-sentient, and possibly the approximate level of developement (whether a simple lifeform like a mouse, a more complex form such as a dog, or a very complex lifeform like a sentient species).