Labor Development History

In 1983 the Ministry of International Trade and Industry initiated the "Advanced Robot" project. Partners in this project were commercial companies such as Shinohara Industries and Hishi, as well as the University of Tokyo. After many years of development, Shinohara were the first company to produce a prototype Advanced Robot, which eventually became the basis for Labors. In 1989 they revealed the SIR-89, the first multi-purpose construction Labor. In 1990 as part of their 45th anniversary, they merged with the company Asuka Heavy Equipment and changed their name to Shinohara Heavy Industries in order to conquer the Labor market.

By 1992 the first commercial construction Labor went on the market. Throughout the next couple of years improvements to Labors were introduced to the initial models such as auto balancers and Shinohara also cornered the market with Labor Operating Software.

In 1995, a devastating earthquake hit Tokyo, and Labors were in quite high demand for re-contraction work. Other companies such as Hishi entered the Labor market. In 1996 the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) established the two divisions of the Special Vehicles Section 2 due to increasing Labor crime, using the Asuka 96-MPL construction Labor as a Police Labor. In 1997 the first military Labors appear. Also other countries join the Labor market with West German manufacturer Schaft creating the Brocken Labor for the West German Military.

By 1998 the massive Babylon Project is well underway in Tokyo Bay. The TMPD also become the first Police Department to use a Labor specifically designed for Police use, the AV-98 Ingram, manufactured and designed by Shinohara Heavy Industries. Soon over 8,000 Labors are in operation in Japan alone. Apart from construction and military functions, Labors are also used by fire departments, airlines and are in use in just about every environment including undersea and even in space. There's even a collectors market with luxury models are manufactured specifically for the rich. In 1999, Shinohara release a new Labor Operating System, "Hyper Operating System" or "HOS" for short.

Labor Terms and Glossary

Labor
Commonly refers to a large scale construction robot, most averaging 8 metres in height. While quite a lot of Labors are humanoid in form, a number of Labors, particularly in the construction sector, are designed to suit the task.

Patrol Labor
Term for Police Labors. Often shortened to "Patlabor" or just "Pato", which is also a term for Police cars in Japan. Police Labors, as you'd expect, are specifically designed to combat Labor crime.

Advanced Vehicle (AV) Project
Shinohara Heavy Industries' ¥5.67 billion project to create a new generation Labor for police and military needs. Out of the initial prototypes came the Ingram AV-98.

Movement Disk
Labor software learns from the experience of the pilot. Therefore every pilot has their own Movement Disk which records how the pilot operates the Labor and the Labor's movement and makes piloting other Labors easier for the pilot, as the disks and software are compatible with each Labor.

Labor Operating System (LOS)
Shinohara Heavy Industries' original operating software for Labors. Like a personal computer, Labors also require operating software. Like Microsoft, they have cornered the market with this software.

Hyper Operating System (HOS)
A new version of Shinorara's Labor Operating System software, introduced in 1999. It was deliberately infected with a virus by the main programmer, Eiichi Hoba, which caused Labors to run amuck under certain conditions.

Neuron Network System
An advanced operating system in use with Shinohara's AV-0 Peacemaker Patlabor.

Asura Operating System
Schaft's exclusively designed operating system for the Griffin Labor.

Super Conductor Battery (SCB)
Labors are equipped with small battery packs which are manufactured out of superconductive material which has zero electrical resistance which makes them highly efficient. Prefect for powering a Labor. The only real problem with these kinds of batteries is they do require constant refrigeration for them to work.

Super Conductor Linear Motor
Specifically designed for Labors, this high efficiency electric motor produces a linear force along its length and is used high acceleration movements.

Hydraulic System
A Labor's hydraulic system is used in conjunction with it's super conductor linear motor.

Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP)
A composite material comprising a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. Used for the bodies and cowling on some Labors.

Fiber Reinforced Material (FRM)
On a Labor this usually is a combination of aluminium and steel.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic is a very strong, light and expensive composite material or fiber reinforced plastic. Similar to fiberglass.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Material
This type of material has carbon fiber strengthened with metal alloys. It is used a amour on military Labors, but the main disadvantage here is it is quite heavy.

High Tension Fiber (HTF)
A high tensity textile fiber with elastic properties. It is used as a light weight amour.

High Tension Steel
High tension steel has ten times the tensile strength of wood, and more than twice that of mild steel and is mostly used in industrial Labors.

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