General Atomics International (GAI) was a pre-War company specializing in industrial robotics, energy, weapons, and software up until the Great War.
Background[]
One of the most prominent industrial robotics manufacturers in the world,[4] General Atomics was one of the first companies to introduce modern robots to the market, starting with the Mister Handy model in 2037, as a general purpose construction and maintenance unit. Used widely on both the American and Mexican markets (especially after the Mexico City earthquake of 2042), it was a rugged, reliable design, which received just one major hardware update in 2039, to eliminate a bug causing interference in the operation of the multiple arms.[Non-game 1][Non-game 2]
Although the model was vastly successful, it was still a design rooted in the technology of the 2030s, with a compact computer brain that was incapable of learning or executing complex tasks without extensive programming. By the 2070s, it was an automaton surrounded by more advanced designs utilizing cutting edge neural networks. In order to maintain their market share, General Atomics entered into a joint venture with RobCo Industries, combining its talent with General Atomics' experience in robotics.[5][6] The resulting model was a sleek, elegant design capable of self-programming and initiative, more than making up for halving the number of arms to just three. Despite its sophistication, it was also cost-effective, making it the perfect domestic servant robot.[7][8] The success of the joint venture resulted in the U.S. Army tapping GAI and RobCo to create Liberty Prime around 2072[9] and spearhead the creation of Robobrains at facilities such as Robotics Technology Facility RB-2851 in Boston, Massachusetts.[10]
Beyond their robots, GAI also manufactured nuclear reactors for various purposes, such as providing backup power for Vaults (e.g. Vault 13),[Non-game 3] wave/particle diverters for laser weapons,[11] and even experimented with autonomous, automated robot networks supposed to maintain a facility independently. However, their Director Management System proved to be a disaster,[12] resulting in numerous fatalities at General Atomics Galleria that forced a shutdown of the facility[13][14] until firmware updates could be delivered to the affected robots. The casualties included the human supervisor who was legally required to be present on site.[15] The fact that the corporation did not go under can be chalked up to their official policy of bribing any survivors into silence (called "immediate financial settlement" in corpospeak).[13]
Locations[]
- General Atomics factory, Boston (The Commonwealth)
- General Atomics Galleria and outlet, Massachusetts (The Commonwealth)
- USA Robotics Technology Facility RB-2851, Boston (The Commonwealth)
Employees[]
Products[]
Robotics[]
Mister Handy[]
Mister Handy was one of General Atomics International's flagship products before the war.
The Mister Handy was produced by General Atomics International as a domestic housekeeping robot, able to help out around the house and defend itself and possibly others with its buzzsaw and flamethrower. Mister Handy is speech-capable, communicating in a polite English accent. Eventually, General Atomics partnered with RobCo Industries to create a superior version of the robot, using neural networks instead of rudimentary programming.[citation needed]
Mister Gutsy[]
The Mister Gutsy is a modified Mister Handy designed for combat use by forces such as the U.S. military.[16] Mister Gutsy comes with a plasma weapon, flamethrower, and significantly better armor than Mister Handy.
Miss Nanny[]
The Miss Nanny was created as the female equivalent of the Mister Handy domestic robot,[17] and it is similarly equipped. It is programmed to speak French as well as English in a French accent.[18]
Mister Orderly[]
Mister Orderly, unlike the Mister Handy or Mister Gutsy, is dedicated to medical procedures and experimental surgery. It is not hard to distinguish it from a Mister Handy as it has a white paint job on the body and has white and blue arms, each bearing a red border. However, it has the same British butler voice of the Mister Handy series of robots.
They were used in the Y-17 medical facility at Big MT. Like the late models of the Mister Handy line, they are capable of quite eloquent speech with a stereotypical English accent. They have three pincers of a blue color instead of the saw blade and the blowtorch of the Mister Handy.
Robobrain[]
The robobrain was created by GAI as a military robot for the US. It uses a real organic brain as its processor. Military models are capable of using integrated laser weapons, sonic projection rays, and have human-enough manipulator claws to wield submachine guns and rifles. The robobrain, by the time of the Great War, still experimental with the only test runs seen by the general populace and never seeing full-fledged release.
Other products[]
- Other
- Wave/particle diverter, a critical component of laser weapons.
- AER9 laser rifle (AER14 prototype)
- Nuclear reactors: Produced primarily for Vault-Tec Corporation for use at the Vaults.[19]
- BS7 transistor radio[20]
- Washing machine
- Dryer
- AgroTrac 5000[Non-game 4]
- Software
- In-Home Servant Interface 3.1
- Director Management System
- Askforhelp Helper System[21]
Notes[]
 | The following is based on Creation Club content. |
|---|
- The Sentinel Control System is an automaton featured in Fallout 4's Creation Club content "Sentinel Control System Companion." The Sentinel Control System was developed by General Atomics International in cooperation with West Tek. It was meant to provide military support to Army units by repurposing pre-existing power armor pieces.
| End of information based on Creation Club content |
|---|
Appearances[]
General Atomics International is mentioned in the Fallout manual, Fallout 3, Fallout 4 and its add-on Automatron, Creation Club content, Fallout 76, and Fallout: The Roleplaying Game. The company's products appear in all Fallout games.
Behind the scenes[]
- The name of the company is a reference to the "General Atomics" company repeatedly mentioned in Robert Heinlein's science fiction stories,[Non-game 5][Non-game 6] which is in turn a parody of General Electric, a nuclear physics and home appliance specialized company.
- There is also a real-world defense and nuclear technology company known as General Atomics, which was founded in 1955. Unlike GAI, the real life General Atomics does not have a significant focus on robotics and instead has a larger focus on nuclear technology and aeronautics, although they have developed unmanned aerial vehicles such as the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper (which they are primarily known for).[22] It is unknown what influence the existence of this company played in the naming of the General Atomics International corporation in Fallout. Of note is that the real world General Atomics was (and still is) one of the largest defense contract employers in the Southern California area Interplay Entertainment was headquartered at during the time of the Fallout franchise's creation.
Gallery[]
References[]
|
Non-game
- ↑ Fallout: The Roleplaying Game
- ↑ Mr. Handy design document
- ↑ Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.1-1—1-2: Important Vault Statistics
Vault Number ............................13
Starting construction date .........August 2063
Ending construction date ..........March 2069
Starting Budget .........................$400,000,000,000
Final Budget, with interest ........$645,000,000,000
Total number of occupants .......1,000 (at capacity)
Total duration ...........................10 years (at capacity)
Number of living quarters .........100 (hot bunking required if at maximum capacity)
Door thickness ..........................4 yards, steel
Earth coverage .........................3,200,000 tons of soil, at 200 feet
Computer control system .........Think machine
Primary power supply ...............Geo-thermal
Secondary power supply ..........General Atomics Nuclear Power backup systems
Power requirements .................3.98mkw/day
Stores .......................................Complete construction equipment, hydro-agricultural farms, water purification from underground river, defensive weaponry to equip 10 men, communication, social and entertainment files (for total duration) - ↑ Fallout: Terrain - Print at Home - Industrial Vehicles (STL): "Revitalize your agricultural efforts with the General Atomics AgroTrac 5000. This biofuel-powered tractor is the all-in-one farming machine of tomorrow, today. Its rust-proof, radiation-resistant chassis ensures long-lasting performance, even in the harshest environments. Whether you’re cultivating crops for your settlement or producing valuable biomatter for demanding scientists, the AgroTrac 5000 is built to maximize your yield and minimize your labor. With the AgroTrac, you’re not just farming, you’re securing the future."
- ↑ Fallout at 25 Fallout Wiki roundtable
Tagaziel: "Also: Question: Regarding the idea of "corps", very few corporations were actually shown in Fallout 1 and 2's world, with the biggest ones mentioned being RobCo and General Atomics, who wouldn't be expanded on until later on in the series. Is that a cyberpunk influence? A reference to the historic, massive growth of corporations in the WW2/post-war era? And specifically for @LeonB did you work on the signage? We've been trying to get a clear shot of Poseidon Gasoline for a while."
[...]
Tim Cain: "The name General Atomics is from stories by Robert Heinlein, and RobCo was because they were robbing you"
Tagaziel: "Wait, really?"
Tagaziel: "Not because they were working on robots?"
bleep196: "No it's kind of in the subtext that they are literally scamming you"
Tim Cain: "I am pretty sure the robbing angle came first, and them making robots was second" - ↑ The Biggest Influences On Fallout, 1:30
