Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"People ask me how I do research for my science fiction. The answer is, I never do any research. I just enjoy reading the stuff, and some of it sticks in my mind and fits into the stories."
- Frederik Pohl
 |
| Razorback | ||
| Autonomous motorcycle weapons platform. |
| A deep guttural roar rose over the other engines, and down each ramp rolled a riderless, black racing motorcycle with dozens of brushed steel blades running along their tops and sides like cooling fins. Neither bike had handlebars, but instead forward-mounted hydraulic assemblies of brushed steel, folded tightly. A cowling of black laminate armor enclosed the front. In place of a rider's saddle was a circular steel dome about a foot in diameter, its surface etched with mystical synbols. Nearly every ince of the bikes was covered in runes and glyphs and razor-sharp blades. They were as much fetish objects as machines.
The motorcycles rolled to a stop and twin hydraulic jacks slammed down onto the pavement like oversized kickstands or half formed legs. They thrust each bike nearly a foot off the ground, where they stood revving their 1800 cc engines deafeningly. Then twin robotic arms with gleaming three-foot sword blades unfolded from the forward hydraulic assemblies, lashing forth on gimabls, arcing smoothly with blinding spead as they ran through diagnostics like insects cleaning their antennae." Razorbacks are autonmous vehicles that can move between terror weapon and targeted assassination. Their primary armament are the two blades on the robot arms (which can swap out damaged blades like a fancy utility knife). They also have a blinding laser to disorient targets and make them easier prey. Finally, razorbacks have a battery powered 'stealth mode' that allows them to sneak up on targets. |
| Technovelgy from Daemon,
by Daniel Suarez. Published by Dutton in 2006 Additional resources -
|
Compare this wheeled device with the autonomous quadruped robot slamhound from William Gibson's 1986 novel Count Zero as well as the Terminator Salvation robot motorcycle.
Thanks to Trey Palmer for submitting this item.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Daemon
More Ideas
and Technology by Daniel Suarez
Tech news articles related to Daemon
Tech news articles related to works by Daniel Suarez
Razorback-related
news articles:
- Scarab Robotic Chase Vehicle Concept
- 'Young Razorbacks Before Their Katanas Grow In'
| Bunker Busters and Bore-Pellets |
| Can A Swarm Of Deadly Drones Take Out An Aircraft Carrier? |
| Has Turkey Been Stealing Rain From Iran? |
| We Need To Build Anti-Drone Systems For Civilian Spaces |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'The crawling... object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
'Joe got out the gravity-simulator harnesses...'
'These are your rudimentary seed packages... Some will combine in place to form more complicated structures.'
'You couldn't have the capstone without the pyramid to hold it up.'
'the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers...'
I'm hoping that this procedure becomes a normal part of medical practice!
'... nothing was perfected until M. Pantalon announced the completion of his automatic valet.'
'...its streets were of remarkable width, with few or no buildings so high as mosques, churches, State-offices, or palaces in Tellurian cities.'
