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[Radio Controlled]

Yeah, I was thinking it'd be easier to have the machine be external, and use tubes you stick into the heart/major artery to work, then strap the roboguts to the person's chest like a life saving fannypack. Makes it so you need less/no field surgery, just 'stop bleeding quickly>insert tubing to machine that takes over vital functions>apply fleshknitter for better closure of the wound'. Maybe I should write a 'standard medical procedure' checklist for medics?



Syv, questions about mmi: how does it work exactly? How does it read brain output, and how does it provide input? Cause I kinda doubt if it can fully take over for the information stream that usually flows through nerves (if nothing else, that's quite a lot of bandwith to come with). Oh, and does it take up a brain slot like an amp does?

[syvarris]

How's it work?  I dunno.  I basically asked "can I have this thing?" and then PW said yes.

Seriously though, there wasn't much detail.  It's supposed to replicate the effects of a braincase, but by miniaturizing the tech and (maybe) stealing some of the non-SM design behind amps.  It really shouldn't be capable of anything that a braincase can't do, and probably can't do everything a braincase can.

Also, the external connection is a matrix-style plug, although it apparently has some wireless capability.  You don't need to be plugged in to send wireless messages, although maybe you're plugged into the MCP, and using it's wireless capability?  I don't really know.

Yes, it takes a single brain slot.

[Radio Controlled]

Hmm. In that case, I kinda doubt if one could use it to operate even a bare-bones robobody. I mean, it'd need to both provide all the sensory input, as well as all the needed output to move about.
And hooking up nerves to machines also doesn't sound like something 'field surgery' could really do.

That said, I do have another potential use for it, if you don't mind me co-opting it a bit.

[syvarris]

Uh, why do you doubt it?  We already have lots of tech that is remarkably miniturizable, like those double strength exoskeletons you had designed.  This is like that, but with added penalties; MMIs (probably) don't have several of the function of a braincase (like life support), and come with the penalty that they take up a brain slot.  It's not a completely unreasonable concept.

Besides, PW has already stated that it's perfectly capable of allowing a pilot to control an assaultsuit wih using any other controls whatsoever.  Unless you were talking with PW in IRC and he decided to retcon that, I don't see why an MMI couldn't control a basic robobody.  I'd agree that an MMI shouldn't be implanted with field surgery, though.

I'd be happy to see other uses you can think if.  People using tech in new and innovative ways is rarely a bad thing.

[Radio Controlled]

Ah. Well, I had trouble imagining how it would both read everything that's going on inside the head (millions of neurons firing, often very subtly) without accessing and reading the 'output' via the brainstem. It's the difference of letting a big computer do the calculations itself, and then reading (and interpreting) the output, or trying to follow all the individual calculations and steps it does and try to derive the outcome from that. And then you also need to stimulate very specific parts of the brain, some of them rather deep inside, in a very precise yet quick way, again without tapping into the natural roads that link directly into that area. Though, maybe you could explain it as the mmi reading and stimulating the brain stem/spinal cord input/output. Not sure how it'd do that in a precise manner without actually connecting to those nerves like a normal braincase does though, but if you wanna handwave something like that, and pw lets you, then sure.

And yeah, implanting something like that in the field sounds iffy. Stuff like this would always need quite an adaptation time anyway, to learn the specifics of the host brain (brains can be quite different. Brain plasticity and such) so even if you could install it, you couldn't really use it (without an even bigger helping of handwavium, that is). I have similar concerns for the robolimbs that would be attached in the field. Though there the mmi could actually be handy to explain it, just say it's the mmi logging into the robolimb wirelessly and using it. Maybe talk to kri about it, and ask him how he was gonna have his robolimbs be controlled? Cause if I'm right, and you can't just plug something into a bunch or shoulder nerves and expect it to work, that'd be a great reason for fleshy people to get an mmi.

I'll wait with the other potential uses for later, when I know more about how pw handles these sort of things.

[Nikitian]

I'm wondering, is the MMI interface we designed sufficiently prototyped and tested out at this point? Because I might find myself in need of MMI-ying a Science team or two (for that forecoming Heph-suggested mission, and generally for working in my Apocalypse Lab (thanks for the name once again, Syv! I'm lovin' it )), and putting their lives and brains to any risk is simply unacceptable.

[fillipk]

I'm going to assume I can post ideas here if I'm on the ship.

I can't design this myself yet but what about a medic suit, an auxiliary suit that, instead of being super combat equipped, is surgically equipped.  I will let someone prototype this if I get some credit and can test the prototype.

[Comrade P.]

I'm going to assume I can post ideas here if I'm on the ship.

I can't design this myself yet but what about a medic suit, an auxiliary suit that, instead of being super combat equipped, is surgically equipped.  I will let someone prototype this if I get some credit and can test the prototype.

I think you can just modify MkIII suit with needed equipment, that doesn't need to be a brand new design.

[Nikitian]

The problem is, I don't follow how a suit can be made surgically equipped, for example. I've been toying with the idea of making "medsupply-less" Advanced kit (consisting purely of various medical instruments, but with no consumables or anything of the kind - in an effort to make it considerably cheaper), but I cannot see what can be integrated to good effect into a suit frame.

And, to my knowledge, Mk III is largely auxiliary-systems-equipped instead of combat-equipped (with those fancy rockets, exoskeleton and additional software and no armor/weapons whatsoever), but there is this 'universal connector' idea floating around for a long time, which we could try and implement into an item on its own - or, if sufficiently "free" cheap, roll into MCP-III proper.

[AoshimaMichio]

The problem is, I don't follow how a suit can be made surgically equipped, for example. I've been toying with the idea of making "medsupply-less" Advanced kit (consisting purely of various medical instruments, but with no consumables or anything of the kind - in an effort to make it considerably cheaper), but I cannot see what can be integrated to good effect into a suit frame.

I don't think you can make that Advanced kit you are planning. You need to pack disinfective materials to keep your tools clean, or bring those separately. Or just take risk of infecting people, it's not like medics actually care about such long term problems anyway.

[Unholy_Pariah]

I claim all credit for the idea of sharkmis medkits.

Self sharpening and self disinfecting blades/needles.
Various hollow tubes that convert organic matter into medicine.
Silk producing tube for sutures.

It'd be like one of those old leatherbound medkit thinks but all the tools would look like carved pieces of slimy black chitin.

[fillipk]

Well I was thinking of a suit that is specially designed to heal others quickly/efficiently and it keeps the medic safe for a bit so it can be used on the front lines, including the possibility of consumables, I'd experiment with this but I don't have the skill/money to do it right now.

[NAV]

A mk2 with the heally bits on the outside instead.

[Nikitian]

I don't think you can make that Advanced kit you are planning. You need to pack disinfective materials to keep your tools clean, or bring those separately. Or just take risk of infecting people, it's not like medics actually care about such long term problems anyway.

To tell the truth, I don't think that's of a major importance. First of all, Maurice has been using that Instrument scalpel of his for years, and not once was there any trouble with infection or something; I presume that we can simply disinfect tools and the such between the missions and then they are preserved by virtue of ER science. And secondly, given the window frame of most missions (and the level of medical facilities available afterwards), I wouldn't say regular infections pose much problem; and when they do, it's by design and probably pretty much unavoidable (see: Sharkmist mission).
In the end, HMRC Standard is pretty much nice disinfectant in and out of itself, being 100% proof and whatnot; most of the time, crude but 'free' substitute materials are available, and the thing that is really missing are the proper instruments of the trade.

Furthermore, and that is separate from the idea above (but, of course, connected), is that I think there is some need for a toolkit similar to Emergency Kit, but with focus on handiwork/aux. Advanced kit does have all kinds of tools, both Medi and Handi/Aux, but it's fairly expensive for basic gear. Having just a toolbox or something, filled with most basic engineering/mechanic's tools might be useful for our Technicians (or whatever the guys are called these days), with or without some basic supplies in the vein of Emergency Kit hammerspace.

[Radio Controlled]

True, a basic 'general toolkit' would be handy. PW often gives basic tools for free though, but giving one a small token cost could then mean we can justify most tools being in there (to a reasonable degree). Would personally roll that into the cutting torch (nobody buys/uses that).

Not sure if medical stuff that needs no 'ammo'/uses is all that needed, unless it can be had in a very straightforward way. True, having to spend money just to get the most basic tools to do your job that doesn't even directly help you (like a better suit would). But with the team fund, and free refills due to diplo mission loot, that should be alleviated. Sounds more worthwhile than spending a lot of effort on getting reusable medical stuff in some roundabout way (getting something high-tech that uses sharkmist to create sutures instead of just packing some darn thread seems like overdesigning a solution).