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Robot

Also known as Bots

Vec 1
Image from Juan Ochoa

Robot
 A programmable device, agent, or expert system with a physical body, by definition non-sophont, that follows certain instructions in order to perform tasks autonomously. In common parlance, they are generally known as 'bots'. Usually a physical (hardware) robotic mechanical system equipped with manipulators and sensors. A robot may perform a physical task normally done by a biont, often with greater speed, strength, efficiency, and precision.

Although vecs are sometimes also called robots (because of similarity of appearance), robots differ from vecs in that they are less cognitively flexible, and lack or have only limited initiative. Most vecs would respond to being called "robot" the way most sophont bionts would respond to being called "animal".

The term "robot" was introduced by the Industrial Age fabulist Karel Čapek. The word means "work" or "drudgery" in Old Earth Slovak or Czech.


Vec
Image from Juan Ochoa

The word bot is generally reserved for devices or programs which are not self-aware (that is, non-sophont) but are capable of acting within certain limits. Like vots, non-sophont bots can have a wide range of capabilities. Many are simply automatons, although most are capable of responding to simple speech and responding in kind. Often bots are organised into swarms capable of distributed processing; these swarms usually consist of small, nano-scale, micro-scale or meso-scale elements, although macroscale swarms are not unknown.

The most sophisticated non-sophont bots are designed to emulate sophont behaviour very closely, often to the point where a typical modosophont observer would not be able to tell the difference. Bots which can realistically behave as if they are sophont are sometimes known as 'characterbots' or 'simulacra' (singular 'simulacrum'), and may be used to perform a wide range of roles where the use of true sophonts would be problematic. Simulacra bots or characterbots can be used as background characters in real-life adventure habitats, historical or fantasy-themed habitats, and sometimes just to increase the population in a newly-built or sparsely-populated environment. They can also be used as companions for modosophont individuals who are living in isolated locations or on long journeys in space.

Characterbots or simulacra bear some resemblance to the hypothetical 'philosophical zombie', an entity which behaves like a truly sophont being without having any internal experience of events. However, characterbots or simulacra are simply the product of careful design and programming, and are optimised to act like true people without any feelings of happiness or suffering. Their virtual equivalent is the charactervot.

Bots can be arranged in multiple to form active materials such as utility fog. From autodocs to erotobots, the everyday lives of sophonts throughout the terragen sphere are made possible by trillions of tireless, mindless and utterly dependable bots.

Use of robot bodies by sophont entities

Sophont entities sometimes use remote bots, also known as remotes, to operate in locations distant from their main processing substrate. Another related technology is the 'temporary body', usually a robotic body that can be used to contain a downloaded sophont entity on a temporary basis after engeneration. More sophisticated temporary bodies are biological or synanotech in nature. Indeed, in the Current Era most robotic designs of all kinds utilise various levels and grades of synanotech in their design.




 
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Appears in Topics
Drytech/HylotechEverydaytechMiddle Tech / Midtech
 
Development Notes
Text by M. Alan Kazlev; some additional material by Stephen Inniss
Additional material by Steve Bowers 2024
Initially published on 22 December 2001.

 
 
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