Smart adventurers wear their eyes on the outside . . .

vicky_molokh · 08-09-2014, 06:19 AM

Greetings, all!

I'm thinking about picking a fully external, PnP, flexible vision aid for my character. An external vision aid is extremely useful for all sorts of adventuring stuff, whether looking for clues, watching for ambushes, looking behind corners or keeping one's back safe every few seconds without turning one's head. So, I present . . .
The OPTACLE.

What is it?
The idea is a splitting tentacle with some of the best optics money can buy. Non-biological. Splitting into two or more, depending on whether trifocal vision is desired (and useful).

The matter of price and quality.
Well, maybe. Transhuman Space has flexible robotic tentacles/snakes, and they cost very little, starting at $500 for a pack of eight short and small ones (Shell-Tech 14). I'm guessing a good meter-long tentacle with a 3-split will not cost more than $2k, with all the connectors etc. included.
Now, the more interesting part: the cyber-eyes themselves. It seems a bit hard to figure the precise cost of optical sensors on their own, only in bundles with stuff like human-likeness or a whole other shell.

Some precedents:
A bionic (i.e. electronic, but made as a prosthetic device mimicking a human eye) eyes cost $20,000 each for Acute Vision +3; $30,000 each for +4; $40,000 each for +5 (BD133).
That's . . . lots. But remember, these are not eyes made for function, but also for style, and for compatibility.
It seems more interesting to take the optical sensors from . . . a Wingbot (Shell-Tech, p.22)!
A complete wingbot costs $24k. Its optical sensors are Acute Vision +3, Night Vision 10, and Peripheral Vision, and sport 3 levels of tolerance towards overheating or overcooling (not likely to matter, but still). And that's a set of at least two sensors, possibly more (because it has Peripheral Vision and lacks No Depth Perception).

What I'm stumped about:
How to figure how much of a Wingbot's price consists of the optics, and how much would the optics' price bump for improving Acute Vision from 3 to 5?
Edit: I know Multiview cameras with Telescopic Vision 4 cost $1,200 each, but does that look as a reasonable price for swapping TV4 for AV5?

Thanks in advance!

08-09-2014, 06:19 AM	#1
vicky_molokh GURPS FAQ Keeper Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kyïv, Ukraine	Smart adventurers wear their eyes on the outside . . . Greetings, all! I'm thinking about picking a fully external, PnP, flexible vision aid for my character. An external vision aid is extremely useful for all sorts of adventuring stuff, whether looking for clues, watching for ambushes, looking behind corners or keeping one's back safe every few seconds without turning one's head. So, I present . . . The *OPTACLE. What is it? The idea is a splitting tentacle with some of the best optics money can buy. Non-biological. Splitting into two or more, depending on whether trifocal vision is desired (and useful). The matter of price and quality. Well, maybe. Transhuman Space* has flexible robotic tentacles/snakes, and they cost very little, starting at $500 for a pack of eight short and small ones (Shell-Tech 14). I'm guessing a good meter-long tentacle with a 3-split will not cost more than $2k, with all the connectors etc. included. Now, the more interesting part: the cyber-eyes themselves. It seems a bit hard to figure the precise cost of optical sensors on their own, only in bundles with stuff like human-likeness or a whole other shell. Some precedents: A bionic (i.e. electronic, but made as a prosthetic device mimicking a human eye) eyes cost $20,000 each for Acute Vision +3; $30,000 each for +4; $40,000 each for +5 (BD133). That's . . . lots. But remember, these are not eyes made for function, but also for style, and for compatibility. It seems more interesting to take the optical sensors from . . . a Wingbot (Shell-Tech, p.22)! A complete wingbot costs $24k. Its optical sensors are Acute Vision +3, Night Vision 10, and Peripheral Vision, and sport 3 levels of tolerance towards overheating or overcooling (not likely to matter, but still). And that's a set of at least two sensors, possibly more (because it has Peripheral Vision and lacks No Depth Perception). What I'm stumped about: How to figure how much of a Wingbot's price consists of the optics, and how much would the optics' price bump for improving Acute Vision from 3 to 5? Edit: I know Multiview cameras with Telescopic Vision 4 cost $1,200 each, but does that look as a reasonable price for swapping TV4 for AV5? Thanks in advance! __________________ Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper Last edited by vicky_molokh; 08-10-2014 at 11:15 AM.