Pribnow Dummy

Appearance:

The typical pribnow dummy is the upper torso, arms, and head of an auton or another similar robotic humanoid. From the waist down, the machine is tied into a local power and computer system. Unlike other autonomous robots, the pribnow dummy doesn't have a cortex, self contained power supply, or even core programming. Each is nothing more than the 'finger' of a larger synthetic intelligence or AISC.

Usage:

The most common usage of pribnow dummies in in government/personnel offices, such as employment, veterans, and social distribution centers. In these locations, the robot interacts with a line of humans, doling out rote information and handling basic data interaction.

In Elysium, Max de Costa (Matt Damon) interacts with a parole officer/pribnow dummy. The machine has a human appearance, but a very limited field of interaction and range of conversation. In a similar vein, in the Cosmic Era, pribnows typically interact with the lower class, criminal element, and such. They are cheap, offer limited services, and if vandalized or destroyed, there is little lost. Likewise, there is no incentive to stealing a pribnow as they lack all of the actual valuable components in an auton.

Pribnow Mecha

The pribnow mecha is a common trainer. Consisting of the upper torso and head of a mecha, the machine lacks a power core, weapon systems, or limbs. This allows for rookie pilots to train with an actual mecha without the inherent dangers. The pribnow has a fully functional LAI, but no power system. Rather, it is tied into the base power system, and likewise, it's onboard LAI is slaved to the base AISC. This allows for fully immersive training scenarios, where pilots and new LAI programs are run through the proverbial wringer.

The Pribnow dummy and name are inspired by the Pribnow Box from Neon Genesis Evangelion. In the anime, new eva pilots are trained, and undergo sync tests with an actual giant angel-robot-monster without the related risk of having said machine go berserk during a routine training drill. The use of a Pribnow Dummy would likewise have saved a lot of dramatic tension during the initial training of Mako Mori in Pacific Rim. Rather than going nuts and trying to blow up the CIC with a plasma cannon, Mori would have done actual drifts and unit training inside a partial jaeger, instead of a balls to the wall desperate run in an antique.

Pink Droid

The Pink droid is the upper torso, arms, and head of a sexually oriented robot. Like all of the other versions of the pribnow dummy, the pink droid doesn't have a central cortex or power source. It also cuts out the expensive feminine organics. The pink droid is common in low brow settings, where the stationary machine is capable of having oral and manual sexual interaction with humans. This is typically done on the cheap end of things.

Pink droids don't have a real sci-fi counterpart that I know of, but are the sort of thing that would be found in low end sex shops. Rather than having been built to purpose, these machines are repurposed from damaged or destroyed autons. Linking into a core system, they are able to continue being useful, an example of the work of the robo-tinkerer.

Lame Sauce

The Pribnow dummy is based around the the concept of a mock-up. The machines are simple, cheap to build, and easy to maintain.

A broken down auton can easily be converted to a Pribnow dummy, typically by bypassing the power system and connecting the machine to a a grid based power supply. Most residences in the Cosmic Era have access to the local processing node, and synthetic intelligence profiles. These two functions can turn a burnt out shell of a damaged auton into a functional pribnow.