Mister Handy

Mister Handy or Mr. Handy is a multipurpose robot developed by General Atomics International before the Great War, refined in collaboration with RobCo Industries. It was popular with government agencies, private companies, and individual citizens across the United States.

Background
The first Mister Handy was introduced to the robotics market in 2037 by General Atomics International, as a general-purpose construction and maintenance unit. Used widely on both the American and Mexican markets, especially after the Mexico City earthquake of 2042.

The units only required one major hardware update in 2039, to eliminate a bug causing interference in the operation of the multiple arms. The robots utilized Calpower 238B nuclear power units and self-maintenance modes. To minimize maintenance overhead, each Mr. Handy was designed to perform its nuclear fuel replacement and radiation cleansing.

The programming was incapable of learning or executing complex tasks without extensive programming. In order to maintain their market share, General Atomics entered into a joint venture with RobCo Industries, combining its talent with General Atomics' experience in robotics. The resulting model was capable of self-programming and initiative, utilizing three arms. Despite its sophistication, it was also cost-effective, making it the perfect domestic servant robot. The success of this model resulted in the development of several additional models, including dedicated medical and military versions. 

Early variant


The original General Atomics International Mr. Handy has a distinct, lumbering appearance with easily identifiable sub-assemblies. The barrel-like main body contains the Calpower 238B nuclear power unit.

The fully rotating head mounted on top houses the single eye and sensors, together with a spotlight and basic communicator with a voice synthesizer, short range radio, and communications jack. The two pods mounted on the sides of the main body each contain a 200 KW vectored-thrust ducted fan with ground-effect skirts that allow the Mr. Handy to hover in the air. Each of the six arms mounted below the main body is strong enough to lift heavy loads, with the ability to utilize all at once. Each is actuated by motors contained within and contains manipulators capable of tasks ranging from walking a dog to operating heavy weapons such as miniguns, flamers, and plasma casters. The entire robot weighs 450 kgs (~900 pounds).

A large number of units remained in service as late as 2077, 40 years after it entered the market. Although vulnerable to logic circuit failures, particularly in hazardous environments or without maintenance, it was used in both corporate and military settings, including locations like the demonstration Vault, Mariposa Military Base, and Poseidon Oil Reactor No. 5. The Enclave used a number of Mr. Handy units in conjunction with their Vertibird teams, usually for cargo hauling, and one unit survived a crash-landing near Klamath Falls.

Later variant


Separated by only a few models from the original General Atomics Mr Handy, the next-generation robot was created from the ground up as a domestic servant, rather than heavy-duty construction robot. The robot utilizes visual sensors and a nuclear core, and is capable of running full diagnostics scans on itself if warranted. If damaged or short circuited, the robots have the potential of gaining intelligence beyond the normal scope of their programming, and are bound by behavior limiters. The robot's packaging contained warnings, such as discouraging users from using its hover jet as a barbeque fire.

Its construction includes three arms and three eyes. They utilize several attachments, including a simple pincer, titanium saw, laser cutter, or military-grade weapons such as a plasma blaster or a flamethrower. Their only limitation is the fact that they cannot lift objects heavier than 18 kg (40 lbs). Eyes are mounted on flexible eye stalks and possess olfactory sensors. The Sunshine Tidings co-op robot was controlled by "Standard Mr. Handy Control Interface v1.20" software.

Other features of the robot line include the ability to perform performing self-diagnostic and self-maintenance, allowing a single unit to function for an extended period of time, such as Codsworth who functioned autonomously for over 200 years. The robots were capable of providing navigational guidance, purifying water, as well as detecting contaminants in the air and the presence of radiation. 

Mister Farmhand
The Mister Farmhands are standard Mister Handy models with a pale green or brown paint job. They are typically encountered at farms, on the roads from Vault 76 to Flatwoods, among other various areas in The Forest region. The Mister Farmhands are typically adorned with straw or other cloth hats.

Mister Frothy
Mister Frothy is a custom, Nuka-Cola Corporation variant of Mister Handy created for use in Nuka-World's Galactic Zone. Its torso is shaped like a miniature Nuka-Cola machine, painted red with the Nuka-Cola logotype printed on the front. At the end of each of its arms is a fan, used to spray guests with Nuka-Cola as a tourist attraction before the war.

Mister Gutsy
A dedicated combat variant, developed by General Atomics International. It was commissioned by the United States Army shortly before the Great War of 2077, with the first units seeing service in the liberation of Anchorage in January.

The Mr. Gutsy is a personal protection automaton, and comes equipped with heavier armor than most utility robots. It also carries a plasma weapon to be used in defense. The Mister Gutsy is also upgraded with dedicated military software, including the ability to refuse orders issued by commanders who are incompetent or under court-martial, remote link-up capability for updating orders in real time, or behaving as a stereotypical Marine drill instructor.

Mister Gutsy robots were known to have issues stemming from vague definitions used in programming its neural network. However, variants such as the field medic model are incapable of harming human beings through intentional action and cannot be programmed to do so. The robots were labeled with a variety of model serial numbers, and used for patrol duties, engaging unknown entities with violence. To distinguish between different variants of the robot, ranks were used. The baseline version was named Mister, with subsequent variants designated sergeant, lieutenant, major, and colonel. 

Miss Nanny
Miss Nanny is a new model launched by General Atomics International shortly before the Great War, they were also a utility bot designed to care for children. The robot was created by General Atomics International as the female equivalent of the Mister Handy. Its design focuses on caretaking tasks, intended for parents of children of all ages.

The specialized programming of a Miss Nanny includes disciplinary and behavioral management skills with an optional corporal punishment mode that had to be manually turned on by parents, vocal tonality analysis routines allowing it to interpret the needs of its charges, and hazard detection matrices for childproofing rooms. Miss Nanny proctor: "''Greetings, Unit 761. Welcome to the General Atomics Quality Assurance Department, where we assure your functionality is up to our high standards. We must run a few tests before returning you to your caregiving duties. Now please, proceed into the first test chamber. First we must test your disciplinary and behavioral management skills. A quality assurance associate will be playing the role of your hypothetical charge, little Timmy. Little Timmy has broken a valuable vase while playing catch in the house. The vase was a family heirloom and is quite irreplacable. Please punish the the child accordingly. Fantastic. The appropriate punishment was separation of the child from any potential source of entertainment. And please remember: corporal punishment is strictly forbidden unless the user enables it in your configuration mode. Please proceed into the second test chamber. A proper Ms. Nanny unit must be able to identify the needs of her charges. Please assess the state of the crying child and fulfil its need. Correct. The child was hungry. Your vocal tonality analysis programming seems to be in working order. Please take this opportunity to reconfirm that any deprecated muffling procedures are not left in your programming. Now please, proceed into the third testing chamber. We will now test your hazard detection matrices. Please childproof this environment by moving any hazardous object to where little hands cannot reach. Splendidly done. All potentially fatal objects have been put out of a child's reach. Please remember, children have a penchant for finding ways to harm themselves. They never are truly safe. Absolute diligence is required. Congratulations! It appears you are fully functional and ready to return to service. Please take a replacement fusion core from the safe in the hallway on your way out.''" (Miss Nanny proctor's dialogue) It was also utilized in medical research. Curie was modified to serve this function, described as top of the line of RobCo technology. 

Mister Orderly
A distinct medical variant created for use in Big MT medical facilities. It is equipped with standard features of the Mister Handy line and modifications necessary for use in medical research carried out at the Y-17 medical facility.

Mister Torturer
An experimental model created by the Appalachian RobCo Research Center. This variant of the Mister Handy was designed to utilize custom appendages to overcome the victim's pain threshold tolerance and increase the efficiency of torture. The development of the robot was a company secret and RobCo vehemently denied both its very existence when word of the Mister Torturer leaked to Appalachian employees and the use of torture by the state (called "improved interrogation"). The project continued regardless, as producing innovations in electrocuting enemies of the state produced lucrative contracts from government agencies.

Appearances
Mister Handy robots appear in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout Shelter, and Fallout Shelter Online. They are mentioned in Fallout Tactics, and were to appear in Van Buren.

Behind the scenes
Mister Handy's voice in Fallout: New Vegas has an additional robotic effect.