Neurohelmet
Sarna News
A neurohelmet is a device that is critical to the functioning of BattleMechs. The neurohelmet is worn by the MechWarrior inside the cockpit and connects pilot to machine. This allows the 'Mech to use its pilot's sense of balance to keep it upright.
Over time, the design of neurohelmets has slightly changed. Pre-Star League they had a weirder look, but were more comfortable to wear.
Technology
The neurohelmet reads the brainwaves of the pilot, which come from the human balance-sense. That way, the Mech-computer can indirectly detect the current position-state of the Mech.
Early neurohelmets weren't capable of supporting more than one pilot: They had to be calibrated to the brain of the pilot. If the calibration was not exact (or if there was the wrong pilot wearing the helmet), this could lead to a host of effects:
- headache
- dizzy sight
- balance problems
- disturbing buzzing inside your head (However, the buzzing remains, even if the calibration is correct, but in that case it's extremely weak.)
Such out-dated neurohelmets are still in use in Clan-Sibkos and in old Mechs in the Periphery.
Modern neurohelmets are more advanced and no longer depend on a specific pilot.
Security
A neurohelmet can be programmed to require a "code" in order to use the machine it is attached to, some example code elements include: looking at various gauges for a predetermened amount of time, moving the Mech's arms a certan way, etc.
The neurohelmet also has a security function, in that it is attuned to the specific brainwaves of the pilot. This means that if an unauthorized individual puts on the helmet, that person will receive anything ranging from a headache to unconciousness.
Of course, devices have been built to circumvent the security protocalls and most take the shape of a false head that one inserts into the helmet.
Neurohelmet in Fiction
In the Battletech novel "Star Lord" one of the characters notes that the Inner Sphere neurohelmet is bulkier than the Clan version. However, this could be due to the dated technology of the 'Mech in question. Many novels also state that certain injuries such as inner ear problems or brain damage prevent a person from using a neurohelmet and thus a BattleMech.
References
- MechWarrior, Second Edition
- Way of the Clans (novel)
- Double-Blind (novel)
- Freebirth (novel)