Mechanized Worker

In 2104 Glen Sorenson, Founder of Sorenson Heavy Industries, first introduced the Mechanized Worker to the construction market. The MW, a bipedal piece of construction equipment, helped firms meet the increasing demands for large scale public works projects. Part crane, part steel worker, the first MWs were costly and required a complex man/machine interface utilizing extensive neural implants to operate. Never-the-less, the MW helped increase construction efficiently so that complex projects were now simplified. The first large scale project was the Chengdu Archology, a 300 story self-contained habitat complex. The project was completed nearly 10 years ahead of schedule, due mostly to the MW. Sorenson Industries was poised to dominate the MW market for the foreseeable future.

For the next decade, the MW helped reshape the landscape of earth. As man-machine interfaces improved and became less invasive, MW use began to become available on larger scales. The major breakthrough came in 2131 when the first nanomachines capable of interpreting human thought patterns hit the market. Now the MW could be operated by someone with a simple injection.

As an unintended consequence, police and governments long predicted fears came true. Incidents of MW crime and terrorism skyrocketed. As a result, Sorenson released the first Mechanized LEO (ML) and Mechanized Soldier (MS), and Sorenson Heavy Industries became a major defense contractor.