Droids

Concerning Droids:
Droids are intelligent robots, with personality cores that render them sentient. They are electronically programmed to behave in certain ways, but despite this many of them develop their own unique identity over time. Droids are capable of independent thought, if their programming allows, but their functions are still purely utilitarian in essence. Droids were created as tools, to automate certain functions of life.

Rules of Owning a Droid:
Droids can be bought or created, if your character is skilled enough. Droids are ultimately property though, and thus can be sold, dismantled, or treated in any manner the owner sees fit. Though mistreatment of Droids is looked down upon, however there are no laws against it.

Droids must do as they are commanded by humans, specifically their owner. The way they handle the commands is situational and based solely in their programming and motor function. Their capabilities cannot exceed their hardware; unlike humans they do not feel adrenaline or true emotion. Their abilities are hardcoded and grossly pre-determined. Droids are non-combatants. Under no circumstance are Droids, or any artificial intelligence allowed to enter combat, or situations of War in a way that is harmful toward human life. (The exception being medical Droids) This is one of the few laws that are strictly enforced by the Earth Government. Droids are meant to facilitate and automate mundane tasks in everyday lives.

Personality:
Despite maintaining an air of intelligence, Droids are merely computers that you input tasks into. Instead of a keyboard or mouse, you give verbal instructions to the Droid. These instructions generally need to be very specific in order to get a task carried out in any sort of efficiency. However, some Droids are programmed better than others, and can achieve efficiency even with the vaguest of orders.

Droids tend to develop individual personalities over time; giving a sense of identity and individualism to a hunk of metal. A Droid’s programming by design is intended to be self-learning, it will store outcomes to certain situations permanently in its hard drives, and call upon these ‘memories’ when required. For instance a Droid is capable of speaking a certain way to please its master, and brewing a cup of coffee to its master’s preference. They learn to overcoming errors in judgment as well. Despite appearing human in ability, these are all hard coded and programed functions.

Droids with developed personalities are rarely dangerous, but sometimes a glitch in their programming causes them to rebel, or to become harmful to those around them. Law mandates such Droids to be terminated.

Independent Droids:
A rarity, but not impossible. Again, it falls back upon the initial programmed parameters. A Droid can be created to be independent, and this has been done in the past, but such things are generally frowned upon in society.

The most common type of independent Droids are ones gone Rogue. The same can be said of Station AIs, though independence is more commonly hard coded into those, due to the high demand of Station life, and they are required to make logical choices without the input of a master.

Droid Limitations:
A Droid is limited only by its hardware, and can achieve a great many things that humans cannot. Droids can survive the vacuum of space, multi-task with better efficiency, survive in conditions that would be deemed unsuitable for human life and thus can explore and document planets that humans cannot. They are limited in many other ways however, Droids do not have any sense of smell, touch or taste. Droids can break down, rust and age. Droids are not good at improvising, or thinking beyond their orders. They are often perceived as single minded. Droids require routine maintenance. Droids need to be routinely charged, as they operate on electricity.

Unless a Droid has been made air tight, and completely sealed (which is a bad idea for heat ventilation) a Droid cannot easily exist in water filled environments or sand filled environments. Water can cause a Droid’s components to malfunction, and complete submergement can result in the termination of the Droid.

Despite these limitations, the sheer fact that Droids automate mundane tasks in daily life to such efficiency means you will see Droids in nearly every corner of the galaxy where human life exists.

Droid Maintenance:
Droids are ultimately mechanical constructs that age and break down. A Droid that is not well maintained will merely shut down when it detects any sort of problem within itself. If properly maintained a Droid can last indefinitely unlike humans. The owner may be required to buy new parts for the Droid when required or refurbish them, either themselves or through a Droid vendor. A Droid’s internals may need to be regularly cleaned. Dust, mould, and micro-organisms could cause a premature malfunction or even result in the unwanted termination of a Droid. Without its internals, a Droid would merely be a hunk of scrap.

Droids can be reprogrammed at will. This requires either intimate knowledge of Droid programming by the owner, or for the owner to take the Droid to a Droid workshop, and pay a fee for such a service.

Example of Common Droids:

 * Medical Droids
 * Maintenance Droids
 * Vendor Droids
 * Labor Droids
 * Household Droids
 * etc... (The programming is key)