Topic: Robots Frozen Watch

[markc]

 I was thinking that having robots cuts down on the crew by a lot but like the book says it is dangerous if their is a need for emergency repair work that needs to be done. So what I have thought up was a robotic frozen watch that spends most of its time on the ships Sense Net and when needed they enter rotation for regular duties or in an emergency they can all be woken up and put to work. Of course they would not be paid full shares for their time on the craft but also they would not need maintenance as they are not active, except for their electronic brains that is.
 So what do you think and what do you think they should be paid? Assuming the robots allowed you to cut the crew by 1/3 and they actually worked 1 day in 3 the rest spent on the net for RR and study what should they be paid?


Thanks
MDC

[Vyrolakos]

If the robots are supposed to be cutting down on the necessity for living crew. Why do they need to be paid?

Are they sentient AI robots?

If they are, then surely they would be paid in the same way as any other living sentient who worked as crew on a shift pattern on a space vessel.

[markc]

  Yes in SM:P robots which are treated as normal crew in terms of payment. But IMHO it would be safer for a robot to be shut down than a flesh and blood person put into cryro-suspension.   
 Also in my game world (working on at the moment) robots are not fully AI or dumb, sort of like the super smart robots in SM:P or your highly functioning autistic person who knows a lot about a specific thing and has some limited personal skills to get along with people as needed.
 IMHO a person who is put into a frozen watch type of crewmen position that is only awakened when needed as per their contract would be paid but not as much as a full crewmen. As you can expect.


MDC
 

[Vyrolakos]

Are the robots considered 'independent citizens' or are they paid a salary as a representative way of compensating the corporation that supplies them to the ship or do they have to buy their freedom from the creating corporation, hence the requirement for salary?

Otherwise, the question arises. Why are they doing the job?

Do they want to be switched off or do they want to exist in a virtual environment and why?

What are they doing with all the down time between shifts? 

[markc]

  From SM:P robots generally work 3 8 hours shifts since they need no sleep. So 1 robot is worth 3 crewmen but in an emergency situation they do not have the other "crew" to help them.
  I have a game reason for them to want to be involved in a virtual environment but I am not going to let it out on the web.
  The robots generally get paid so they can pay back their builder. The bots also get a % of their pay so they can pay for maintenance or other things. This is a SM:P game setting theme.
 they do the job because that what they do. It is not a great answer but that it what the setting info give you IIRC. It also sort of is, you do what you are good at and most bots are programed for specific things and are not programed for a wide variety of things.


MDC
 

[Vyrolakos]

Yeah, that makes sense. If you can just make 'cheap' labour. Why hire real people?

The question remains though. What's in it for the 'frozen watch' robots?

After all, it will take three times as long for them to buy their 'freedom', so to speak.

Anyway .... so, your robots are up to something eh? 

[markc]

  Yes it will take more time to buy their freedom but they have no wear and tear either. I also thought about the robot brains being able to add to the computing power of the ship in some way and also the frozen watch could rotate in and out of actual duty so they also get some pay time.
 The idea is a way to have "bodies" in case of emergency but also saving some $ vs a whole live crew.
 There is also a home brew game world thing for the robots that benefits them in some way. So yes you could say the robots are up to something.
 I use some game world ideas from SM:P but a lot of it is my own creation. But SM:P is a great jumping off point for my ideas to get a toe hold on and leap from there.

MDC

[snrdg051306]

Hello MarkC,

Minor maintenance is going to have to be done to ensure nothing breaks or seizes up during the time assigned to the frozen watch. Finding out that the robot's motive mechanism is locked up during an emergency is not good.

[markc]

Hello MarkC,

Minor maintenance is going to have to be done to ensure nothing breaks or seizes up during the time assigned to the frozen watch. Finding out that the robot's motive mechanism is locked up during an emergency is not good.

Yes I agree hence the reason the bots rotate on and off shift. IMHO this would allow the maintenance they would need ans since they were contributing their computing power (bot brains) to general ship needs they can also do some self diagnostics to make sure nothing big is broken.
MDC

[snrdg051306]

 Yes I agree hence the reason the bots rotate on and off shift. IMHO this would allow the maintenance they would need ans since they were contributing their computing power (bot brains) to general ship needs they can also do some self diagnostics to make sure nothing big is broken.
MDC

The opening post states:

Of course they would not be paid full shares for their time on the craft but also they would not need maintenance as they are not active, except for their electronic brains that is.

Which I should have highlighted and used in my original post was what prompted my comment about robots needing minor maintenance even when on the frozen watch.

What should a Frozen Watch Robot get paid?

I haven't worked out how SM: P handles pay for the crew so I'll ask a question.

How much does the living crew member get paid during the time in the Frozen Watch Section?

I used the same factors for the robot as required by a living being.

[arakish]

Sorry for resurrecting an old conversation.

My question: Why would the robots receive pay?

They are machines.  Not persons.  Even with advanced SI/AI, they are still nothing more than machines.

I know ST: TNG made a good case with Data; however, I am more like Star Wars.  They are machines that are used to backup real personnel for repairing and maintaining another machine.

Of course, that is our universe.  But I do find it amusing that robots would receive pay like real personnel.  Just wondering.

rmfr

[markc]

In SM:P robots receive pay just like any other PC.
MDC

[arakish]

So I am guessing that robots/androids can be citizens in your SPAM universe?

Interesting.  We never thought of that happening in ours.  Then again, there was a Mech Revolt (kind of like Terminator) in our universe.  Thus, there are laws, under penalty of death, to never give machines any form of SI/AI.

Ah.  I found it in the Robot Manual.  Thanks.  I was just curious since robots are nothing more than machines in our universe.  And none are humanoid shaped (against the laws).  All are more usuform in shape (their form and shape fit the function for which they are built).

rmfr