Robot arm use for sample gathering

[skyace65]

for those of you living under a rock in fear of your kerbals rocket crashing onto you. one of the big things with the asteroid mission pack is a robotic arm needed to grab onto the Asteroid. I'm thinking, what if we could use it on a rover to gather surface samples?

[Weegee]

While in theory this would be really cool, it would make Kerbals less useful for gathering science. Sure, you wouldn't be able to clean experiments or transfer them, but this would make it a lot easier to play through career mode without using kerbals. If it were to be implemented, it would need balancing, like it can only take one sample, takes a lot of power, is really heavy, etc.

[regex]

While in theory this would be really cool, it would make Kerbals less useful for gathering science. Sure, you wouldn't be able to clean experiments or transfer them, but this would make it a lot easier to play through career mode without using kerbals. If it were to be implemented, it would need balancing, like it can only take one sample, takes a lot of power, is really heavy, etc.

This is an excellent point considering just how lucrative surface samples are in the game. They should be hard to get and require the player to accept some risk. Given that, if probes need more to do allowing them to do a crew report is a much better option.

Another option is if a probe could collect a surface sample but a Kerbal/science lab would have to process it before it could be properly "collected" or transferred. In other words, a Kerbal has to be involved somewhere in the process. Although this sidesteps the need to actually land a Kerbal somewhere, so I'm not entirely convinced it's a good idea either.

[kiwiak]

This is an excellent point considering just how lucrative surface samples are in the game. They should be hard to get and require the player to accept some risk. Given that, if probes need more to do allowing them to do a crew report is a much better option.

Another option is if a probe could collect a surface sample but a Kerbal/science lab would have to process it before it could be properly "collected" or transferred. In other words, a Kerbal has to be involved somewhere in the process. Although this sidesteps the need to actually land a Kerbal somewhere, so I'm not entirely convinced it's a good idea either.

I think probe camera 9or some other part for probe reports - or just give this functionality to probe cores?) woudl certainly reqiure separate science reports. Right now there are few mods for crew reports for probes and this sometimes gives bizzare effects - like report describing what crew of not existing manned spacecraft is doing right now.

[LethalDose]

I think probe camera 9or some other part for probe reports - or just give this functionality to probe cores?) woudl certainly reqiure separate science reports. Right now there are few mods for crew reports for probes and this sometimes gives bizzare effects - like report describing what crew of not existing manned spacecraft is doing right now.

I'd like to see a camera part that could be used by a probe and would count against the "Crew reports" science. However, it could only collect up to 25% or 50% of the mits that a full crew report could, but a new mechanic would be needed to prevent spamming it for for full value since reports don't suffer transmission loss. So the player could send a probe with a camera to Duna, get 50% of the "crew report" science value from high duna orbit, then send a manned mission to get the remaining 50%.

To me, this is the best of both worlds, especially given how few few science parts can collect data from space.

[Deathsoul097]

Actually, the transmission loss, type of experiment, science gained from the experiment and the max percentage from transmission of the experiment are all defined in the CFG of the part file. No new mechanic would be needed, just changes to CFGs. Either way, I like this idea.

[HafCoJoe]

Awesome ideas and a robot arm would be super cool! Although I think they're adding a grappling hook to the ARM update and not a robot arm. Also the plan is to use a Kerbal on the mission and thus remove the need for an actual robot arm. BUT YES IT WOULD BE SO COOL.

[CaptRobau]

Actually, the transmission loss, type of experiment, science gained from the experiment and the max percentage from transmission of the experiment are all defined in the CFG of the part file. No new mechanic would be needed, just changes to CFGs. Either way, I like this idea.

Well returning the probe to Kerbin would still get you max science, with or without Kerbals doing the experiment. Since getting a probe back to Kerbin is easier than a Kerbal...

[Daemoria]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/71661-0-23-PLUGIN-RoverScience-ALPHA-3-Open-for-Playtesting!

and

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/64972-DMagic-Orbital-Science-New-Science-Parts-V0-7-1-%283-12-14%29

both have what you might be looking for.

[Vladthemad]

Also this one...although Daemoria posted one that looks far better

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/63628

[awsomejwags]

Don't forget http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/64336-0-23-Panda-Jager-Laboratories-Parts-Pack

[MKI]

The simplest way i could see this is just a new science part, more in line with the Science bay/ Science bay jr. But with the addition of only working on the surface of something and being heavier than other said parts.

It would be one time use (like the Science Bays) and it could be an alternative to sending kerbals down to gather samples themselves. But would really be best used as one way missions for probe landings. Since return missions would still benefit kerbal manned missions.

I LIKE THIS IDEA

it is simple to implement, its one part

its not complicated, it already acts like the science bays and the gravity detector

it adds a new option for rover/unmanned missions

and it would only take 1 part to make it possible with only minor tweaks to the code (its code implementation is already inside the game in the form of Kerbonauts getting surface samples)

[Kegereneku]

I like the idea as well.

The whole science-point gathering need a rebalance anyway.