Model S "Sweetheart" Utility Drone

The Model S Utility Drone, better known as the Sweetheart, is a class of buoyant aerodyne drone manufactured by Data Engines Limited. Highly customizeable, a Sweetheart can carry loads, use tools affixed to its expansion ports, read simplified programming gaskets, and execute commands issued via a fretted glove worn by the operator.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The majority of a Sweetheart's volume is taken up by its toroidal lifting gas envelope. A pair of counter-rotating fans at torus' center controls the drone's hover height, while pivoting louvres redirect the fans output to control the direction of movement. The gyroscopic forces created by the fans help keep the Sweetheart oriented in space. Unfortunately, the Sweetheart can prove difficult to control in micro-gravity environments (i.e. inflection layers as a result of its vertical assymetry.

Beneath this assembly lies the central core, which contains a miniaturized internal combustion engine, battery pack, radio reciever, and an extremely limited programming gasket reader. This last piece of equipment merely serves as read-only ring memory instruction reader, with gestures from the operator manually advancing the gasket. Finally, four expansion plugs at the base of the unit allow it to mount cargo pouches or tools controlled via the instructions found on the programming gasket. The overall volume of a Sweetheart, when fully equipped, is a little more than that of an average male human.

DEL Brand Logo by BCGR_Wurth

In addition to the heavy backpack typical to radio control equipment, the operator of a Sweetheart wears a glove strung with switches. By making certain gestures, the operator can either directly controll the Sweetheart's movements or cause it to use an attached piece of equipment in accordance with pre-programmed instructions. Unless tethered directly to the operator, the Sweetheart is designed to automatically try to get within a certain range of the transmitter backpack and no closer. While it is theoretically possible to arm a Sweetheart, they are not very good shots.

Item type

Mechanical

Subtype / Model

Drone

Manufacturer

Data Engines Limited

Related Technologies

• Dieseltech Computer

Related ethnicities

• Elovisian

Owning Organization

Commonwealth of C

Rarity

Sweethearts are uncommon, being mostly found at the sides of combat medics and salvagers.

Weight

24 lbs

Base Price

700 NGC plus remote control device