Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To make a standardized ship automation in Lucerne Labs product catalog
- Image Source: here
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi Concord, Lucerne Labs Customers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Lacerti-series Starship Automation
- Modularity: basic automation can be expanded to work on different sizes and types of vessels; can easily be integrated with other software and vessel systems
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Agrinium casing, Calor-series Bio-computers, Biolux Organoform Circuitry, fluidics, Bia series Portable Fusion Generators, Psykhe series Droid Brains, power chargers, magnetic suction tubes, software code & various electronics
- Dispersed Automation: Unlike some older systems like the central control computers of the Trade Federation, Lacerti does not have a central computer that directs all operations, but it instead uses a variety of bio-computers and integrated droid brains spread throughout the host vessel. Typically a large bio-computer mainframe will direct and coordinate all of the operations of a specific system, delegating specifics to smaller bio-computers or integrated droid brains, which typically run the smallest level of a system, such as an individual shield emitter or point defense weapon. Meanwhile, the large mainframe will directly report to a command authority, typically a console on a bridge or a higher level artificial intelligence. Dispersing tasks to different units not only ensures that there is no single weakpoint or kill switch in the system, but also means that the unique natures of each individual artificial personality means that the system isn't entirely predictable, performing with more variability in thoughts and tactics like an actual organic crew.
- Redundant Systems Pathways: Lacerti typically runs dual circuits throughout its entire construction, running typically both a fluidic-based and organoform circuitries to fulfill the same function. Thus if one such circuit is damaged, hacked, or otherwise rendered inoperable, the system still can function. Like Sawano-series Bridge Architecture, Lacerti also takes full advantage of Calor-series Bio-Computers ability to internally reconfigure itself by including software back-ups within the various consoles which allow the consoles to jointly come together to replace an otherwise destroyed or offline consoles. As example, if the shield management mainframe computer was destroyed, other Calor-series bio-computers could siphon off some of their processing power along with navigation systems partitioned in their hard drives to effectively recreate the navigation computer's abilities, though this will lower the capabilities of the other computers. Similarly, while Lacerti typically runs off the vessel's main power source, it has a number of small fusion generators throughout the automated network which can act independent back-up power. Lacerti is capable of self-diagnosing issues with itself and typically responds by dispatching some of its integrated droid help to fix hardware issues or reroute systems to designated redundant pathways if needed.
- Integrated Droid Help: While Lacerti can manage to run a ship and its subsystems entirely through its circuitry for most basic operations, there are times and unexpected situations where independent, physical actions need to take place that aren't near a computer. When those instances occur, Lacerti relies on integrated droid help. Droid substations are located throughout the host vessel. Each substation typically keeps a number of droids ready in power chargers, from which they can deploy from, either through their normal method of locomotion, or to be sent en masse through magnetic suction tubes that run throughout the ship. Common droid models found stationed in these substations include but are not limited to L1 Marinus series battle droids, L2 Navigator-series Astromech Droids, L2/4 Mechanicus Repair Drones, and L1 Erutor Medic Droids.
- Automated Assistance: Lacerti greatly reduces the organic manpower needed to run a vessel, reducing operating costs in long-term and allowing for more dangerous missions to be risked with smaller costs of life. It is entirely possible to have a vessel run on Lacerti automation if so desired.
- Phenomena Resistant: Lacerti uses both organoform and fluidic circuitry rather than conventional electrical-based circuitry, which provides the system with a defense in principle. This makes the using vessels less susceptible to disruptions from electromagnetic pulses, either found naturally by certain stellar phenomena, or from different weapons such as ion cannons or mag pulse warheads.
- Esoteric Repair: While the living nature of biocomputers and organoform circuitry mean that they can heal themselves through natural processes, it also makes them more difficult to repair if damaged because of the nonstandard and complex nature of the biotechnology involved. Similarly, using fluidics makes the vessels more resilient in adverse environments, it also makes them more difficult to repair in combat positions. Rather than simply replacing a burned out circuit board, fluidics repairs may require fluid being added or drained or having leaks plugged or patched.
Effective shipboard automation has long been a grail for many starship corporations and firms. The benefits of lower long-term operating costs, increasing onboard cargo space, and with multiple benefits for relying less and less on organics have been a siren call that has only been interrupted intermittently by disasters like the disappearance of the Katana Fleet and numerous but smaller droid rebellions and computer virus mishaps. While Lucerne Labs has experimented with the technology in a number of forms in different ship designs over the years, it has finally standardized a rough systems processes to be used on a variety of vessels with the Lacerti-series Starship Automation.
Lacerti attempts to avoid some of the pitfalls of earlier designs by not centralizing operations on a single entity or type of technology. It has not central artificial intelligence, instead relying on a web of clustered, individual artificial intelligences which work collectively to make tasks happen. It does not rely on conventional circuitry, but instead uses both organoform and fluidics to make its processes less likely to be disrupted by ion weapons or naturally occurring electromagnetic phenomena. It can self diagnose and help repair itself or at least call upon the efforts of droid helpers in running itself or the ship, which further reduces the likelihood of a single, great catastrophic mishap.
While Lacerti-series Automation is capable of being scaled up to run an entire starship, few starship designers or buyers are willing to put that many eggs into a single basket. Consequently, Lacerti typically is scaled to different levels of automation, sometimes only replacing a small amount of crew in those who are more risk adverse and looking for more of a back-up system, whereas other times it replaces nearly everyone but a small bridge crew, especially with those who are exceptionally thrifty or have a secret to keep. For its part, Lucerne Labs has not established its own internal criteria for the amount of automation found in its own designs yet, instead employing the level of automation in its designs based on the buyer's wants.
