Drone Lore

=History=
Due to advancements in the field of macro-scale 3D printing after the field of self-assembling nanotechnology was largely abandoned due to numeous failures, delicate, yet strong metal drone casings could be manufactured reliably in an automated assembly process. Using this as a starting point, NanoTrasen decided to devote a substantial portion of their research and development facilities to achieving the goal of fully-automated maintenance and construction robots by [date of invention of NT maintenance drones].

The largest issue with designing the drones proved to be commonsense reasoning, as while construction was a relatively simple process, the sensorimotor component of the drones proved elusive. At the time, NanoTrasen drones were capable of complex reasoning, conversation, calculation, and planning, but failed to provide human-like performance on tasks like image recognition and movement.

The solution to this was twofold. First, it was accomplished by a return to the alternative AI hypotheses of the 20th century, such as subsumption architecture, where an AI was constructed by combining many layers of simple algorithms in order to create emergent, complex behavior. Due to this, construction and maintenance drones exhibit complex planning and organizational skills while lacking much abstract understanding of language, logical theory, or symbolic systems. Most of their knowledge and abilities are purely practical in nature. Second, in a move inspired by the insectoid robots of the Nouvelle AI movement (itself tied to subsumption architecture, as well), NanoTrasen's drones were designed with a spider-like chassis in order to prioritize mobility and stability.

=Drone Manufacturers=
Drone manufacturers are essentially complex, single-function autolathes, able to produce one fully-functioning drone chassis every two minutes. Drones are linked directly to their manufacturer, able to be recalled, reprogrammed, or modified when necessary by an authorised engineer. The manufacturers consist of several components, such as a circuit etching component, a milling machine to produce the chassis, and plates or arms on tracks to move and assemble the parts as needed. This results in remarkable efficiency.

=Drones=
==The Drone Chassis==
Construction and maintenance drones share factors in their physical and algorithmic design, such as their arachnoid appearance and complex planning. In an unconventional move, a drone chassis is constructed as one part, lacking the typical multiple-part hinges. Instead, they utilize a design technique known as "compliant mechanisms", where hinges and other moving parts are replaced with flexible, one-part alternatives that are able to be manufactured precisely and reliably. This means that there is no danger of hinges or motors being obstructed or clogged, and no lubricant is necessary for the drones' joints to move properly. This means that, as long as it remains charged and undamaged, a drone can operate indefinitely without maintenance.

==Drone Behavior==
In terms of their behavior, drones act similar to eusocial insects, in that they will coordinate to work on complex tasks together and designate their own roles within such projects. However, this is only due to practicality and not any sort of established social order or logical reasoning; they lack language, instead communicating via data packets that share information such as observations and plans. Instead of having pre-loaded blueprints, construction and maintenance drones operate off of heuristics that allow them to repair, improve, and construct machines, rooms, pipes, and so on. Despite lacking complex symbolic understanding of these concepts, they demonstrate a remarkable ability to adapt to the station's needs while also not interfering with its sapient crew.