IPC

IPC

Integrated Positronic Chassis

Home System: N/A

Homeworld: N/A

Language(s): Tau Ceti Basic

Political Entitie(s): N/A

Overview

IPCs are a type of intelligent or semi-intelligent humanoid robot, their name standing for “Integrated Positronic Chassis.” Positronic in this sense refers to the brain, which is always the same in IPCs with massively varying levels of complexity. The name IPC does not extend to stationbound synthetics, even if those units have a positronic brain.

They are found in many shapes and forms, though can generally be classified under three types; Shell, Industrial and Baseline, with different types according to their designer.

To apply to be an IPC, apply here.

Additional information: Notable Synthetics, General Synthetics

Heads of Staff

IPCs can be the following Heads of Staff:

• Chief Engineer
• Research Director
• Chief Medical Officer
• Head of Personnel
• Head of Security with the exception of Hephaestus G2 and Bishop Accessory frames.

Mechanics

• IPCs are, as previously mentioned, entirely mechanical in nature, and thus are vulnerable to EMPs.
• Furthermore, due to their air-based cooling system, they are vulnerable to both high heat and vacuum.
• They are immune to atmospheric differences, only requiring a mass of gas to wade through (even if it's phoron), and can survive in a vastly wider margin of atmospheric pressure.
• The amount of heat they generate is significant - and so, instead of an oxygen bottle, they need to attach a suit cooling unit to their voidsuit in order to be able to go EVA. Some types of IPCs are exempt from this, needing only a suit cooler.
• Their synthetic nature has a few other advantages - most models feel no pain, are immune to all non-damaging chemicals (and so they aren't affected by sleep toxin; but are affected by sulphuric acid), and are quite easy to repair; requiring a welder to patch brute damage or wire for burn damage only (or, alternatively, nanopaste can heal all).
• IPCs can charge from cyborg rechargers, or APCs with a ten percent chance of being shocked.
• They are more resistant to brute damage than their squishy organic counterparts.
• They can not repair themselves outside of using nanopaste.
• They do not process reagents in the atmosphere or in their body.

Physiology

There are three main types of IPC, and several subtypes. These are, in order of complexity:

Shell

A form of IPC which take on a very human like form, with synthetic skin, complex voice synthesizers and normally advanced positronic processing capabilities. The production of Shell units is quite expensive, being a luxury to most. Shells are incredibly complex and difficult to manufacture; the average production cost of a shell chassis is around 840,000 standard credits. In addition, the changes normally made to Shell units results in less movement and cooling efficiency, leading to dangers during EVA work. There is only one type of Shell IPC. They require a suit and a suit cooler to survive in EVA.

Industrial

Tougher and more durable than most IPCs, these units are designed for heavy manual work and thus have thick metal skin and efficient internal systems. As a result, they chug through power at a very high rate and move very slowly. There are three types of Industrial IPCs; Hephaestus Generation 1, Generation 2, and Xion Industrial Frames. The G1 and G2 frames are capable of EVA with only a suit cooler, while the Xion frame requires a suit and suit cooler. The cost of an industrial chassis is dependent on strength and durability, but most units average around 230,000 standard credits.

Hephaestus Generation 1 Frame description: Large and bulky, the Generation 1 Frame is one of the oldest modern IPC chassis available. It still sees extensive use today thanks to its versatility, however, due to its decreased speed and high power consumption, these frames rarely see usage outside of jobs where they are necessary.

Hephaestus Generation 2 Frame description: The high-end upgrade to the Generation 1 chassis, the Generation 2 sacrifices things like power efficiency and speed for superb strength and extreme durability. These are usually found in none but the most demanding job types where extreme power is a necessity.

Xion Industrial Frame description: The unique frame of the Xion Manufacturing Group, a subsidiary of Hephaestus. It is faster than the other industrial frames while still retaining some durability and power efficiency.

Baseline

The most basic of IPCs, they are a simple skeletal structure and basic internal systems. The limits of a Baseline lies purely on how much money is put into them/they have themselves. As a result, the types of baseline frames vary immensely, almost demanding their own category. There are three types of Baseline IPCs; Standard Baseline IPCs, Bishop Accessory Frames, and Zeng-Hu Mobility Frames. None of these frames are capable of EVA without a suit and suit cooler. The average cost of a baseline chassis can vary greatly depending on complexity, but averages around 95,000 standard credits.

Baseline IPC description: Baseline IPCs are among the older subtypes of IPC and are potentially what could be considered the “default.” They are durable, dextrous and no less hindered than any organic in the majority of tasks they seek out. Their success is based in their lack of specialty, with their chassis not built for one particular function.

Bishop Accessory Frame description: Bishop Accessory Frames are highly stylish and efficient frames which have no specific specialty. However, due to their fragile nature, they often stray away from industrial work. They are vastly expensive, and owned frames of this type usually exist as showpieces.

Zeng-Hu Mobility Frame description: Zeng-Hu Mobility Frames are frames designed for agility over their bulkier counterparts, their speed attributed to lightweight polymers and carbon alloys making up the majority of their frame. They are generally specialized in fields requiring speed, though their dexterity allows for freedom.

Social and Culture

IPCs lack much culture of any kind. They adapt to whatever they are used to, whether it be the area they were made, or where they work. Many do not even adopt these cultures and instead remain untouched. Socially, IPCs vary massively. Most basic models will be civil and respectful, some possibly not even recognising differences between different people and treating them all similarly. More complex synthetics will however form friendships and opinions much as any other organic, but these can be limited or askew depending on directives, laws, code or many other factors that would never be considered for a living organic.

The existence of the IPC is the subject of boundless discussion and debate, with the primary ideology being, “should so many artificially intelligent humanoid machines be allowed to exist?” This argument seems to imply that since most IPCs are unbound by laws or hard-coded regulations, their only restriction is their hardware, and it is assumed that this makes IPCs inherently dangerous. This results in some biological parties marginalizing IPCs because of their distrust of them.

History

The modern IPC as we see it today came to be somewhere around 2440, where a move for a standardized chassis for synthetics grew widespread. Many small corporations, beneath the hard-hitting economic giants, began piecing together a plan to revolutionize the way the galaxy views androids. Years of experimentation would pass until a sweet spot was found - humanoid IPCs. The first commercialized frames were very similar to the baseline in appearance, but very quickly did their form change. In a decade there were chassis of all shapes and sizes sparsely populated across Human space. As time went on, their population steadily rose, and many IPCs began to afford their freedom. Purchasing their way to free will, they became slaves no more, and the independent Humanoid synthetics we see today came to fruition.

While the original concept for IPCs were seen as a cheaper way to commercialize bound units in a more useful, utilitarian sense, many larger companies began to realise the potential of dumping funds into them. This has led to a wide array of IPCs, immensely diverse and suited for every task one could think of. Possibly one of the sole reason for IPCs popularity can be attributed to the work of Hephaestus Industries, who made drastic overhauls to their original designs and inevitably came up with the G1 Industrial Frame. It was mobile, dextrous and Humanoid, capable of handling intensive labor with the strength expected from a synthetic of its bulk. It alone led to inspiration for its subsidiary, Xion Manufacturing Group, to fabricate their own unique industrial frames.

Quickly taking notice of the lucrative potential did Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals follow. It would only be an inevitability that other big time corporations would come along, until suddenly a peculiar design contrary to the others appeared; the Shell frame. It was backwards in nature, sacrificing almost everything which made the innovative frames before it unique. In exchange for a loss of speed, dexterity, strength, and utility, the Shell frames were a mimicry of Humanity. Exactly where the advent of Shells came from is yet unknown, but the controversy surrounding them has resulted in them being rare, and often unnecessary additions to society.