DRONES
A robotic drone is a remotely-controlled machine that is not sentient: it is IQ 0. It usually has a computer onboard that handles some autonomic functions, such as helping to stabilize a walking or flying drone, but a drone isn’t self-aware. Drones are also known as remotely-piloted vehicles (RPVs) or teleoperated robots. Most robots are drones in the 20th and 21st century.
Drones are commonly used due to the high expense of AI programs. Even as technology expands, they are popular as a more physical form of telepresence than virtual reality allows. Some homes or businesses may have drone bodies that are left “open” for guests or customers to borrow. A person might even leave an android duplicate of himself with a loved one if he’s going to be away… and some parents might check in on distant children by paying regular visits in a drone body.
With the correct command codes, any robot body – even one housing an AI or cyborg – can be teleoperated as a drone. Even the lowest-IQ non-volitional might suddenly be “possessed” by a greater intelligence! A drone’s computer runs a simple software program (Complexity 3) that controls its body and communication systems. A robot body that is only being used as a drone has the drone lens – see Machine Intelligence Lenses.
Renting Robots
Sapient robots with volitional AI are usually rented for about one-fifth the cost of a person hired to do the same job. Those with non-volitional AI are usually cheaper (as they’ll need supervision) and rent for about 1/20th the cost of a live hireling. These prices may rise to match human labor costs if robots are free citizens. The low cost of robot labor may also drive down human labor costs! Rent-a-robot establishments make sure that their customers leave sizable deposits, or have credit cards (or the equivalent) that can be charged in the event of damage or loss.