Psycommu

Psycommu (サイコミュ Saikomyu) is a fictional control mechanism in the Universal Century time line of the Gundam meta-verse. It is a system mainly utilized by Newtype mobile suit (MS) pilots to mentally control MS equipment.

Psycommu system
A Psycommu is a device connected directly into the user's thoughts, through which the user can manipulate it by using his/her mind. The name derives from psychic and communicator.

The research into psycommu started when it was discovered that brainwaves can bypass radio interference created with Minovsky particles. The Duchy of Zeon's Flanagan Institute began researching the newtype phenomenon, and developed the psycommu system to be used exclusively by newtypes. Though seen in the MAN-08 Elmeth the first mobile suit to use a Pyscommu system was the MSN-02 Zeong developed by Zeon and piloted by Char Aznable; against Amuro Ray in the RX-72-2 Gundam, developed by the Earth Federation, near the end of the One Year War.

In essence, a psycommu system works by passively scanning the brainwaves of newtypes, amplifying them in order to send the brainwave signal out long distances, and then translating these brainwaves into raw machine codes upon being recieved by the selected object with limitations. Since brainwaves are not affected by the radio interference property of Minovsky particles, at first it was mainly used to mentally control remote weapons via Minovsky Communication, usually mounted with a single beam gun. This enabled the resurrection of BVR engagements, with bits and funnels being the first weapons able to engage targets without visual contact since the development of the minovsky particle. Later on, the psycommu system was also used to increase response times.

Bio-Sensor
In UC 0087, the psycommu system was designed to interface the newtype pilot with a mobile suit, called a bio-sensor. The bio-sensor amplified the power, speed and strength of the mobile suit for a short period of time, and in some cases used the psychic power as a weapon, when the pilot was mentally and emotionally distraught, usually when angry or upset. The MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam, and the PMX-003 The O were known to have been equipped with bio-sensors.

ja:サイコミュ

Psycommu Controller Headset
The Psycommu Controller Headset is a technology installed in the second Qubeley Mk-II. The headset is headgear designed to read the psychowaves of the Newtype wearing it, and then transmitting those signals to a mobile suit equipped with a receiver. This allows a Newtype to control psycommu controlled remote weapons even from outside of the mobile suit.

Anti-funnel System
The Anti-funnel System was used by the mobile suit REON (Robotic Environment Operating-system Nucleus) Ver.5.7 Gundam Zephyr Phantom Mark II "Reon", in the manga of the same name. The AFS worked by blocking Psycommu waves from a Psycommu System of any sort and thus disrupting any use of remote weapons such as bits or funnels.

Psycoframe
Appearing in Char's Counterattack and later in Gundam Unicorn, the Psycoframe is a technology that builds the brainwave-to-machine code translator known as Psycommu into the atom-level of the metal frame of a Mobile Suit.

NT-D System
The psychoframe was later used on the Sazabi and Nu Gundam's successors, the MSN-06S Sinanju and the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam. The psycoframe of the latter enables a non-newtype pilot to effectively fight against a Newtype opponent by taking over their funnels and/or bits via the NT-D System.

ja:サイコフレーム

Psyco-control system
This technology allows a mobile suit to be externally controlled via the psycommu system. Developed by the Earth Federation's Newtype Labs, this system is first installed in the second unit of the MRX-009 Psyco Gundam, and is a standard feature of the MRX-010 Psyco Gundam Mark II. The technology is later obtained by the renegade Principality of Zeon soldiers based at the asteroid Axis.

Quasi-Psycommu
The Quasi-psycommu system was developed to extend the capabilities of remote control to non-newtypes. This system can actively scan the pilot's brainwaves, no matter how weak they are, and then let the computer translate the thoughts into commands to be issued to remote weapons. Using the quasi-psycommu even non-Newtypes and normal humans can control simple wire-guided remote weapons, such as incoms. Incoms, unlike funnels or bits, still have to be tethered to their control unit by wires because the electrical signals to the incom would be otherwise disrupted by Minovsky Particles.

The quasi-psycommu system was first developed in the AMX-002 Neue Ziel by the Axis Zeon in 0083, only known as "half-control computer system". Later, the Titans, in Universal Century 0087, developed their own miniaturized version, which appeared in several units such as the ORX-013 Gundam Mk-V, and the MRX-010 Psyco Gundam Mark II. When the wreckage of the Psyco Gundam Mark II was retrieved by the Neo Zeon they reverse engineered it and used it in several of their own units such as the AMX-103 Hamma Hamma and AMX-014 Doven Wolf.

Neo-Psycommu
The Neo-psycommu system took the quasi-psycommu system a step further, allowing a pilot to control the suit with just his thoughts, without any manual controls. The only example of this was the huge mobile armour XMA-01 Rafflesia, in which the pilot's helmet contained numerous neural receptors and connected to the mobile armour through fiber optics wires.

Bio-computer
The bio-computer was developed in U.C. 0123, first employed in F91 Gundam F91, and then also incorporated in the Crossbone Gundams (F97) during U.C. 0133. In essence it was a reverse psycommu system: instead of reading the brainwaves of the pilot, it analyzed the data observed from the sensors, and then fed it directly to the pilot's brain. This system could even be used by non-Newtypes but a Newtype would bring out its biggest potential.

EXAM system
The EXAM System (Blue Destiny) was quite similar to the Bio-computer, except that it worked using the soul of Newtype Marion Welch, embedded into the system. Due to the fact that it contained a soul, it sometimes went berserk and could not be controlled by the pilot, with sometimes fatal results. To counter this the operation time was limited to 5 minutes.

ja:EXAMシステム

Psycho Neutralizer
A psycommue system featured in Gundam Evolve, the Psycho neutralizer is an advanced model of the Biosensor installed on the MSZ-006-P2/3C Zeta Gundam P2/3C Type, allowing the pilot to fully control the MS with precise movement. This system also allows the pilot to psychically interfere with other Newtype weaponry

Bio-Computer
A new kind of man-machine interface which allows machines to be controlled by human thoughts. While functionally similar to the psycommu system, the bio-computer places less strain on its human operator. The bio-computer is originally intended to help the disabled, but its development is ultimately funded by the Earth Federation Forces, who hope to employ it as a mobile suit control system and install it in the F91 Gundam for experimental purposes. As its name implies, the bio-computer is similar in structure to a human brain, and its operating processes resemble human thoughts and feelings. Rather than merely displaying data on a computer monitor, the bio-computer can relay it directly to the pilot in the form of sensory information, so what the machine "feels" can also be experienced by the human operator. However, the full latent potential of this system can only be tapped by a Newtype pilot.

Angel Halo
Angel Halo was a psycommu fortress, basically a giant circular structure with a control ship in the middle. While the other psycommu systems merely read brainwaves and translated them into machine code to control the weapons, the Angel Halo harnessed the power of hundreds of newtypes (controlled by one single newtype in the middle) and used them to "devolve" the human mind. It would literally force an adult mind to think like a baby and even further back. It was used to attempt to mind wipe all inhabitants of Earth.

Angel Halo had no outer defenses, it was only guarded by a Zanscare fleet. However, the effect of the structure's systems prevented potential attackers from getting close.