Developed by General Atomics International with the assistance of RobCo Industries,[1] the Robobrain was designed from the ground up as a multirole platform for use by military and civilian clients. They are more flexible and powerful than robots due to the fact that their central control and processing unit is an actual brain, rather than an artificial facsimile.[2][3] Coupled with a robust, all-terrain tracked chassis and powerful armaments, the Robobrain was on the forefront of a new revolution in combat robotics.
Although they were considered one of the most advanced cyborgs ever created, Robobrains never reached full production status.[4] Persistent problems with aggression and violence even in properly CODE-conditioned robobrains,[5] Until its closure, SAD experimented with developing a new kind of cybernetic brain explicitly designed for use in Robobrains, while RB-2851 focused on manufacturing and iterating on existing solutions. Although the first brains were procured from primates (typically chimpanzees),[6] persistent equipment failure in brain extractors that were incapable of working at an industrial capacity,[7] and flaws in the immature technology used to manufacture Robobrain chassis resulted in a limited trial run. RB-2851 alone managed to complete three batches, with a further two planned. Each batch provided superior upgrades to the robot, including increased energy efficiency, maintaining brain longevity, improved visual cortex connections to enhance motor skills and perception, and tactical combat capabilities.[8][9][10][11][12]
Units deemed combat-capable were assigned on a provisional basis to select locations across the United States, for security and janitorial duties. These included the Sierra Army Depot, Mariposa Military Base, and the West Tek Research Facility on the West Coast and other locations in the East.[13][14] Some private companies closely affiliated with the government did receive a limited number of completed Robobrains for security purposes, like the Vault-Tec Corporation.[15]
Characteristics[]
Robobrains appear in the Mojave, albeit rarely compared to the ones found in the Capital Wasteland. One can be found overlooking Hoover Dam, working for the NCR. There are also hostile robobrains at Helios One, Vault 11, the H&H Tools Factory and Big MT. These robobrains have male voices, unlike the robobrains of the Capital Wasteland, who have female voices.
Variants[]
Robobrain[]
The standard robobrain found throughout the Mojave.
This robobrain is an experiment created at the X-8 research center as a result of splicing a lobotomite with another robobrain. It dies shortly after its creation.
The U.S. Army robobrain was developed by the U.S. military in order to replace soldiers on the front line in an attempt to gain the upper hand against the Chinese.
↑Fallout: New Vegas loading screen hints: "The Robobrain, constructed by General Atomics International before the great nuclear war, is unique in that it uses an actual organic brain as its central processor."
↑Automatron loading screen hints: "The Robobrain, constructed by General Atomics International before the Great War, is unique in that it uses an actual organic brain as its central processor."
↑The Sole Survivor: "Have you seen a robot with a brain like that before?" Ada: "No, but my old caravan discovered records about them while we were scavenging military facilities. According to my data banks, it's called the "Robobrain." It was considered one of the most technologically superior robots ever constructed, but the model never reached full production status." (Ada's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Here you go, Ada. The final Radar Beacon. I'll need that head back when you're done." Ada: "Of course. Shouldn't take but a moment.There you go... still in one piece.I'm not sure why you want the head back. All we needed was its Radar Beacon.Besides, Robobrains are notorious for being... well, a real pain in the neck." The Sole Survivor: "What else do you know about them, Ada?" Ada: "Quite simply, it's the first time General Atomics produced a successful union between organic matter and robotics. The brain is used both as a control unit and a data storage unit which is far more efficient than using standard circuits.Unfortunately, there were a lot of programming issues with these robots which caused them to be a bit... shall we say, unhinged?Hopefully, this particular Robobrain will have some of the answers that we've been seeking." (Ada's dialogue)
↑Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets p.33: "The Robobrain is a jack-of-all-trades robot. They have hands and are usually armed with assault rifles. The chimpanzee, or other primate, brain that was implemented into them makes them excellent guard robots. It's rumored that some were set up to accept human brains, but this has never been proven."
↑RB-2851 terminals; Brain Extraction Terminal, Div03-BE-0093: "Once again, thanks to equipment failures, we're getting pretty backed up in this department. The brain extractors were never made to operate at this capacity - I think they've been running around the clock for the last few weeks. We usually end up with a popped blade from slicing through a particularly tough skull, or the hydraulics in the pulling arm seize up when the spinal cord isn't fully severed and the brain is pulled too early. I hope that Ciroletti doesn't yell at us again - this really isn't our fault."
↑RB-2851 terminals; Robobrain Production Terminal. Batch 2: "Batch 2 *** DECOMMISSIONED *** Stimulation: PASSED Extraction: PASSED Analysis: PASSED Insertion: PASSED Assembly: COMPLETED Focus: Hardware updates and modifications to improve energy efficiency."
↑RB-2851 terminals; Robobrain Production Terminal. Batch 3: "Batch 3 *** DECOMMISSIONED *** Stimulation: PASSED Extraction: PASSED Analysis: PASSED Insertion: PASSED Assembly: COMPLETED Focus: Updates to preservation fluids to maintain longevity shown in Batch 1."
↑RB-2851 terminals; Robobrain Production Terminal, Batch 4: "Batch 4 Stimulation: PASSED Extraction: PASSED Analysis: PASSED Insertion: PASSED Assembly: IN PROGRESS Focus: Updated visual cortex connections for higher recognition. Hoping to remedy failings of Batch 3 where motor skills and spacial awareness was extremely poor."
↑RB-2851 terminals; Robobrain Production Terminal, Batch 5: "Batch 5 Stimulation: PASSED Extraction: IN PROGRESS Analysis: NA Insertion: NA Assembly: NA Focus: Updates to hardware and software to allow for smoother communication between brain and CPU. Addition of tactical combat capabilities."
