"Very little is known about the
Robotocization process."
Princess Sally
Acorn
All around you are machines, computers, calculators, even your average kettle is a machine. They all share something in common. They can only do the tasks they were designed to do. They cannot (not even highly advanced computer systems) evolve to a higher state of ability and do things they were not meant to accomplish.
But all around you are biological machines (humans), they can do anything you ask them to within physical limitations. What if you could create a horde of androids that could mimic human behavior and be completely under your control? Wait a minute, why waste all that time and resource creating a new machine when you can just have a slave or a servant? The problem is that slaves have a conscience, they think too much. Just suppose, just suppose you could convert a sentient being into an intelligent machine. Welcome, to the world of Robotosization!
So how do we define intelligence. Well, an intelligent being must be able to learn from its mistakes, figure out problems by inference as well as trial and error, upgrade itself so it can do things it was never originally designed for. So why is it so difficult to make a thinking machine? Common sense is the answer! The intelligent robot must know a vast number of ground rules in order to function. On a very simple machine this is not a problem, but on a really complex machine like an android there could be billions.
So, we either go through millions of almost meaningless rules or we create a computer to learn them. However learning computers of this level of technology are rare even on Mobius. NICOLE is a good example of this. Despite not being sentient it/she is very advanced. However it/she still requires an operator. A truly independent machine must, when necessary, act on its own. After being given instructions it has to make its own choices on situations. Can it handle them or should it call for help?
One solutions to this problem is to pinch these rules from a sentient. Then they can be, with some alterations, put into a machine. But the technology to read this information from the mind is not even present on Mobius. This is the reason why Robotnick tortures his prisoners for information. There is no other way to obtain it. He does also do it for fun. Now that these further complications have been laid down it seems Robotocization is the only way to create these machines efficiently.
Before delving into the infinitesimally complex science of this procedure I will first tell you what it would be like to be robotosized. You are Sally, and have been captured by Robotnick. Unfortunately no-one is there to save you! Not even Sonic. After being held in a cell for a few nights you are brought to the robotosizer by a platoon of SWATBots. Your cursings and protests do nothing to deter the evil scientist from placing you on the robotosizer pad. A split second later a cylinder comes down, this cuts you off from the outside world. You now hear nothing except the muffled sounds of Robotnick and the echo of your own voice crying out for help.
You can also hear a steadily rising hum as the robotosizers capacitors charge up. Then much to your horror a blue beam passes over your head and down your body, ending at the floor. Your fur starts to bristle and stand on end. Partly because of fear and partly due to the strong electrical field around the machine. You then hear the steady hum rise to an unbearable pitch. You fell a tingling sensation all over your body particularly your head. Then without warning you feel like a axe pick has been driven into your skull.
Now you feel a jumble of sensations, ecstasy, agony, love, hate, but all wrapped in an unbearable ribbon of chaos. You notice a steadily increasing blue glow around you. You muscles start to go haywire. Your whole body stiffens in the unbearable agony and you clench you fists so tight that blood is splirted out of them. You let out a long scream, more of a event of the energy than your own pain. You feel a new sensation now, as if your whole body is changing and slipping away from you. If you had the strength to turn your head you would see a semi-robotic arm. The flesh would peal off and be replaced by steadily growing mechanical equivalents.
You feel woozy and your pain gradually leaves you. But now you feel only the desire to serve Robotnick. You have forgotten everything. You still feel emotions, simple ones. You now live in an eternal state of bliss. But you are now non-sentient and cannot enjoy it.
This is the longest and probably the most complex section of this page. Here I will explain how Robotocization actually works. Of course we cannot really do this here on Earth so I have put together my work by first seeing the process in the shows and then working out a possible way of doing it based on Earth physics. I have tried to be as objective as possible. The description in the last chapter was formulated by this information.
From life form to robotic slave. Tricky one. Well first here is one idea. The robotosizer only uses energy to convert living matter. Since life forms are constructed of atoms each atom could be changed individually by a process of bombarding them with neutrons, protons and electrons. If the right path for each was known then this could work. But here are some major problems with this method. In order to do this the mass, spin and charge must be known for each atom. At present on Earth we can know two at once but not all three. Let us say that somehow Mobians managed to do this. Then they would have to freeze the body of the host to absolute zero so non of the variables for each atom would change after measurement. This temperature cannot be reached!
Then there is the problem of storing all this data. Let us say that a ten byte string can hold all the variables of an atom. There are a few trillion atoms in a human. Sally for instance is about 60% the height of an adult. She still contains trillions of atoms. If you work this out then to store all this information you would need 1 gig hard drives stretching for billions of miles! Not even NICOLE could store all this data. Even if all of Robotroplis was a super computer it could not accomplish this task. Acquiring information for every atom in Sally's body, even with hundreds of probes could take thousands, millions or even billions of years! So obviously this approach is not practical!
Now before I talk about my solution here are some more problems. Beings remain conscious during Robotocization. They could just be killed and then robotosized. As long as the process was done quickly there would be no danger of rotting. Therefore the robotosizer must convert body parts bit by bit but yet still allow the host to live. But if a vital organ is converted then the host dies. I can now conclude that Robotocization not only uses the body against itself but also that robotosized creatures are part organic.
The brain is probably too complex to fully convert and therefore must still be supplied with oxygen and occasional nourishment. This could perhaps explain Bunnie's predicament. From her we also know that the legs and arms are altered first. Since they are not vital organs this makes sense. Bunnie must also have some kind of robotic organ inside her so she can provide power for the arm and legs. This must come next. Since Bunnie can move her legs and arm her network of nerves will be roughly the same as the robotic ones. Since they both work by electrical impulses they could be easily joined. Thus I also conclude that the nerve network inside the body remains the same throughout the process despite changing to metal. The fine nerves will be thickened so they will not break easily.
Also in Uncle Chuck's case he has seemed to regain his will. This further backs up my theory that all robotosized life forms have organic parts. His partially organic brain was able to win and let him take control of himself and still recall most memories. If it was totally metallic this could be impossible. Robotnick himself also has robotosized parts. As you will see. None of his vital organs have been altered. Maybe if Bunnie had been rescued from the robotosizer a second later then a vital organ could have been changed and she would die instantly. She must have been lucky. Very lucky.
Now all evidence had been examined hear is my Robotocization process. I will pick on Sonic this time in my description. Sonic would stand inside the robotosizer and first be scanned. Not every atom but just his vital statistics and his brain. Since the brain knows all the information about all the body the robotosizer must occupy it. Meanwhile energy is being stored in capacitors beneath the machine, it will be needed later.
After the scan is complete an area specific to memory and thought in Sonic's mind is targeted. The scan I assume is similar to a x-ray or another type of radiation based probe. Then a very thin thread of carbon containing microscopic computers is shot into his skull. Sonic will not feel this. Then either by a conductor on the surface, or by magnetic waves, power is supplied to this. Sonic would now feel something. The computers use this energy to produce more threads that weave into Sonics brain. They keep him conscious but relay information to his brain asking it to do the immense calculations needed for Robotocization.
Instead of concentrating on atoms Sonic's brain will start altering his cells so they convert when given enough energy. When the calculations are complete they are sent back to the robotosizer main computer. By now carbon threads will be weaving through his body and painlessly piercing his skin, ready for the intake. Powerful magnetic fields are produced around Sonic's body. Energy, possibly plasma is sent round the round the field and this is what makes it glow blue. The magnetic field makes sure that Sonic is not vaporized. The carbon receptors in his body pick up the energy and transfer it to all the cells in his arms and legs.
The cells use the energy to morph into a variety of metals. Since oil cannot be added as a lubricant to these parts during the process they would most likely contain a magnetic movement system rather than a hydraulic or pneumatic one. The new parts would not be supplied with the right type of energy to start moving so this would not interfere with the process. By now all nerves in Sonic's body have been utterly converted into thick conductive material. Here comes the really tricky part. His brain, now about 20% metallic must be kept alive.
So the next step is his body is coated in the overlapping metal strips that will form his new skin. Near the neck a special area is being developed to supply and store oxygen and glucose for cell growth. Then in a quick process his spinal chord and all internal organs are converted into a power generator and other components. The skin is micro textured with "heat sinks" that expel all the waste heat created by his new form and allow sensation.. His eyes are replaced by mechanical spectrum sensors that can pickup ultra violet and infrared bands. Ears are simply sensitive sound recorders going less deep into the skull.
When the process is finished our mechanized Sonic steps out ready for lubricating and the attachment of various features including lasers, tools and recording equipment. Because Sonic retains knowledge of language Robotnick can speak to him and expect recognition. The fibres in his brain that are now operating with total efficiency repress all previous memories and it may be impossible to ever bring him round. Of course this is just for Sonic , the Robotocizer alters this process slightly depending on species, sex and genus. This part is incorporated into the scan. If an unknown life form is Robotocized then the machine will either ask for parameters or it will improvise a design from a similar animal.
After seeing what happened to Uncle Chuck when he regained his memory I have put together a theory to explain how a Robotocized life form can regain sentience. Like I have said before the Robotocizer makes sure there are organic parts left inside the body. The brain's memory despite being oppressed by magnetic/electric fields is still fairly functional. All that is needed is a slight alteration to some of the circuits and the oppressor will stop.
The brain will then either be unable to cope with its new state and go into a combre or it will slowly adapt to its new body. As in Bunnie's case. A lot of therapy will be needed to allow the sentient machine to operate. There are all sorts of problems associated with the brains new predicament. One is there is less sensation on the skin/case of the life form. The heatsinks allow for some sensation and they are infact supposed to double up as sensors. Each magnetic servo must be controlled individually and this takes practice.
When the being has been fully rehabilitated it is just a question of waiting for the de-Robotocizer. Another problem as so rightly pointed out in one of Dan Drazen's stories is that Robotocized organisms can be gradually poisoned by metallic toxins that their organic parts cannot get rid of. There is also the problem of cells having no room to expand. Dead cells staying where they are and forming a puss that chokes all other life. Bunnie is susceptible to this as well so every once in a while she must be detoxified. Eventually all Robotocized life will die.
Cylinder Guides: These allow the movement of the containment cylinder. They extend to a point above this diagram.
Scanner: This unit uses radiation based instruments to scan the victim. Since the brain is the area that needs to be scanned the most the scanner is situated at the top.
The Regulators: The function of these units is to regulate the power flow into the system be it plasma or electricity.
Thread Implanter: The purpose of this unit is to shoot out the microscopic threads designed to take control of the brain.
Containment: This piece of cylindrical perspex reinforced with carbon fibre is tough enough to contain even the strongest of victims. A well aimed spin from Sonic will usually crack if not destroy this feature. However when inside he cannot build up enough speed to escape.
Controls: These are the manual controls for the Robotocizer. I assume the primary control is voice recognition.
Magnetic Field Generator: This generates the magnetic field around the victim so that incoming plasma does not vaporize them.
Plasma Vents: These release and require plasma from the containment cylinder.
Emergency Shields: Super strong shields made from titanium alloy capable of containing even a serious plasma leak. These flip up only in an emergency.