Sensor Technology
Early Fenspace sensor technology was primarily the Mark I Eyeball (biomods notwithstanding), with radar being used by the wealthier and larger settlements. However, advancements in sensor technology - both waved and hardtech - were made by many Mads across Fenspace,[1] and (most of) the Mads tend to share their work.
Baseline scanner technology has become uniform and affordable across space - anybody can buy collision-avoidance radar for their spacecraft for a nominal sum.
However, scanners/sensors built by particular factions, companies, or other organizations have different specializations:
- Everybody who does astronomical or astrophysical research wants FedFen or Artemis sensors.
- Biophysicists prefer scanners made by the Supers.
- Targeting sensors built by the Warsies are second to none.
- Being a business operating in space with a former chief engineer who specializes in explosives work, StellviaCorp has some very, very good high-energy and hull-integrity sensors.
- Reverse-engineering of scanners discovered in some Boskonian bases, including Boskone Prime, indicate that somebody[2] is interested in looking for particular genotypes. "Why" is still a matter of debate - it doesn't seem to affect the results of the various Catgirling Machines.
FTL sensors are not so rare as such, with the Trekkies' subspace tech. The powerful sensors of the White Stallion and Prometheus Forge are more or less Eddie's fault (A.C. generally focuses on medtech and lab sensors, which means exotic energies/materials and extreme-detail but close range scanners), which gets him work requests on sensor integration and processing projects.
Handheld Sensors
In general-purpose handheld scanners, the Tricorder still reigns supreme. Yes it's expensive, but so flexible quite a lot of people save up and buy them. It's baby brother the Tacorder is pretty much standard equipment for FESWAT, GJ squads, and other such luminaries.
Interwave Detection And Ranging (IDAR)
The IDAR project is a continuous effort or the Catgirls of the Little Big Bang Labs for a long range ship detection system. With the Limit of Nostromo only a few million kilometers away from the large planet, the time between the detection of an enemy spacecraft and the craft entering weapon range to the station was too short in their opinion.
The first generation IDAR is a large rotating Radar dish that has been waved to send and receive Interwave signals. The Interwave signals are reflected by most active Fenspace FTL drive fields and the returning signals are displayed in the command center on a holographic screen.
Current research activities include an experimental phase array IDAR and modified Handwavium strains to increase the sensitivity of the system or reducing the amount of quirks.
Notes
- ↑ As always, the Mads best-known for useful developments in this field are A.C. Peters and The Professor.
- ↑ The usual suspects are Asmodeus Grey and Agatha Clay, but they're the usual suspects for all Bosko-Mad tech.
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