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 power, and developed the psycommu system to be used exclusively by newtypes.

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, 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

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. This allows a Newtype pilot to control the mobile suit as if it were his/her own body with limitations. Traditional psycommu systems require a large subsystem, and are typically mounted on larger Mobile armor platforms. With the development of the psycoframe, it became possible to install a psycommu system into a smaller mobile suit.

The first mobile suit equipped with the psycoframe was the Neo Zeon MSN-04 Sazabi, built for Char Aznable by Anaheim Electronics. Hoping for a conclusive battle with his long-time rival, Amuro Ray, Char secretly allowed the psycoframe technology to be leaked to the RX-93 Nu Gundam production team -- also at Anaheim Electronics.

Psycho-field
The psycoframe absorbing the intense emotions of the mobile suit pilots and the Earth's inhabitants is often listed as the explanation for the mysterious power that prevented the large asteroid base, Axis, from dropping to Earth. In the Gundam Unicorn novels, this phenomenon is dubbed "Psycho-field", and occurs when two psycho-frames come into close proximity to one another. This contact creates a unique spacial phase around an area of space, in which human consciousness is capable of manifesting as physical phenomena. The "Psycho-field" is a phenomenon that deviates from the laws of physics, and within this space, it is possible for things like "another person's emotions," to be directly felt, similar to the quantum effect of the Trans-Am Burst System from Gundam 00 series.

NOTE: In the novel version of Char's Counterattack, entitled Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - Hi Streamer, a third Mobile Suit, the Psyco Doga, is also equipped with a psycoframe. The Psyco Doga, which served as a prototype for the powerful mobile armor Alpha Azieru, was never animated.

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

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 Formula 91, 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

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.