Ok, having a microdrone as your extra set of eyes and ears is a neat thing and surprisingly cheap (roughtly 1500-2000Y)
But what about RFID tags? Accordign to the sensor table and from what I can find about the description they can handle one sensor piece without a problem - and they are adhesive.
Need Thermographic vision? no problem, one RFID tag with skinlink+camera+thermographic will cost you 251Y that you link directly to your PAN and cybereye/glasses.
This is mainly useful if you can't squeeze in all you want in your usual gear. Want someone to watch your back? slap a RFID tag with camera and the back of your jacket and connect it through your clothes via skinlink.
Is this unfeasible?
Can the same thing be done by drones? A RFID tag slapped on a drone with an extra sensor they wouldn't have space for otherwise?
Full Version: Cheap sensors?
| QUOTE (SR4 @ pg. 318) |
| Tags are readable by anyone with a commlink. They have a Signal rating of 1. |
| QUOTE (SR4 @ pg. 212) |
| Signal Rating = 1, Signal Range = 40 m |
I think it mostly depends on what you want to do with it. Whatever it is, it HAS to be close range.
Also, where did you get the idea that you could put a camera in one? I read the decription of sensor tags, but nowhere does it indicate that these can be used like a security cam...I'm really curious.
A camera is listed as a sensor on p. 325, SR4. It has a Capacity Cost of 1, so it fits into a RFID tag.
Yes, as far as I can tell, a camera (or any other capacity-1 sensor) could be put on an RFID tag (like a sticky-cam) and that could be attached to a drone (signal rating of 1 is more than enough to reach it).
One problem is, as someone pointed out, anyone with a commlink could pick u pthe signal if they were close enough. I beleive the BBB also says that the data can be encrypted, so you have that as protection. Skinlinking one would work for a PAN (since you can disable the wireless ability of any wireless device) but wouldn't for a drone (no skin - no skinlink).
It seems reasonable that you could just use regular old wires to connect them with a hard connection, though - just isn't in the rules anywhere since RFID tags are small, and don't typically have FUB ports. (The USB of the future)
Also, as for slapping a thermocam to your head. No matter where you put it, its not likely that the image coming in will be just like the (two) images you normally see with your eyes. Its going to be a bit disorienting if that's the only vision you have, especially if its on your back.
Once again, rules say nothing about this sort of thing, but a wise DM would impose some sort of token penalty for having disconnected vision.
Lastly, microdrones are small, real small. An RFID tag is small too, probably smaller, but my intuition tells me that an RFID tag might be cumbersome for a little bug drone to carry around on its back - of course, SR4 Abstracted weight restrictions out of the game, so its sort of a GM's call on that one.
For bigger drones, the weight would be almost nonexistant, but those have lots of sensor room anyways.
One problem is, as someone pointed out, anyone with a commlink could pick u pthe signal if they were close enough. I beleive the BBB also says that the data can be encrypted, so you have that as protection. Skinlinking one would work for a PAN (since you can disable the wireless ability of any wireless device) but wouldn't for a drone (no skin - no skinlink).
It seems reasonable that you could just use regular old wires to connect them with a hard connection, though - just isn't in the rules anywhere since RFID tags are small, and don't typically have FUB ports. (The USB of the future)
Also, as for slapping a thermocam to your head. No matter where you put it, its not likely that the image coming in will be just like the (two) images you normally see with your eyes. Its going to be a bit disorienting if that's the only vision you have, especially if its on your back.
Once again, rules say nothing about this sort of thing, but a wise DM would impose some sort of token penalty for having disconnected vision.Lastly, microdrones are small, real small. An RFID tag is small too, probably smaller, but my intuition tells me that an RFID tag might be cumbersome for a little bug drone to carry around on its back - of course, SR4 Abstracted weight restrictions out of the game, so its sort of a GM's call on that one.
For bigger drones, the weight would be almost nonexistant, but those have lots of sensor room anyways.
| QUOTE (Darkness) |
| A camera is listed as a sensor on p. 325, SR4. It has a Capacity Cost of 1, so it fits into a RFID tag. |
Thank you! I appreciate the quick reponse!
one funny thing is that this allows for "silly" stuff like trowing a rfid with a camera around a corner to see whats around there. or stick it to the only exit as you enter so that you can keep an eye out for ambushes.
rfids with sensors are a interesting home protection idea, just make sure to keep the connection encrypted
rfids with sensors are a interesting home protection idea, just make sure to keep the connection encrypted
| QUOTE (BlackHat) |
| Also, as for slapping a thermocam to your head. No matter where you put it, its not likely that the image coming in will be just like the (two) images you normally see with your eyes. Its going to be a bit disorienting if that's the only vision you have, especially if its on your back. Once again, rules say nothing about this sort of thing, but a wise DM would impose some sort of token penalty for having disconnected vision. |
Well, not really, I'm sure you could tune the signal so that the important data is either overlayed upon your PAN vision or piped through an image link within your field of vision. Still htere are some very useful things one can do, like an RFID tag with motion sensor so that you have somehing akin to a radar (woulnd' be that hard to program a "radar" window in your vision showing any moving object.)
| QUOTE (hobgoblin) |
| one funny thing is that this allows for "silly" stuff like trowing a rfid with a camera around a corner to see whats around there. or stick it to the only exit as you enter so that you can keep an eye out for ambushes. rfids with sensors are a interesting home protection idea, just make sure to keep the connection encrypted |
You will have to think about a method to determine in which direction the camera is facing after throw in advance. Just putting it in a RFID-Tag and throwing it, would result in a camera facing probably everywhere, but where you want it to face.
Mani can't waite to play this edition.
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