Lightclaw

[Crim]

Manufacturer: Largely self-fabricated
Production Line: Lightclaw
Model: Largely custom-made
Technical Weapon Designation: None
Affiliation: None
Availability: Custom
Modularity: Heavily modifiable
Composition: Phrik
Ownership: Ainu Navkh
Description: A weapon combined with cybernetics, the lightclaw is a series of miniaturized lightsabers in a claw formation. While inactive, the emitters remain hidden in each finger until activation is required. The emitters rotate and face outwards, aligning with the focusing crystals with near pin-point accuracy each time. To activate the lightclaw, the user simply requires to think about activating it and flicking the wrist.

The lightclaw is built into cybernetics on Ainu Navkh's right arm. Each finger is a miniature lightsaber, with crystals and focusing chambers built in. The power supplies are in the palm and forearm. In the event that one is damaged, the other will still give power to the lightclaws. Of course, training to use this weapon is required. Users may have a tendency to accidentally strike themselves, especially the arm itself, with the blades.

Classification: Melee
Size: Large
Length: Roughly 1-2 feet (batteries and control chips extend up the forearm)
Weight: 10.2 kg
Ammunition Capacity: N/A (Five blades)
Range: Adjustable (default blade length is .3 meters) Ranges from .01 meters to .5 meters

 

[Demiurge]

I'm inclined to say no to this, brah. Sorry.

To begin, this device takes the concept of the miniaturization of lightsaber technology to a previously unseen extreme. The smallest lightsaber technology is the shoto, and even that is only marginally smaller than the standard. Just a standard lightsaber requires many intricate mechanisms, such as a focusing lens, a diatium power cell (which took up the majority of space within the hilt itself), and an emitter matrix, which had to be a certain size in order to exert a powerful enough electromagnetic field to stabilize the lightsaber beam itself, maintain its shape and prevent the escape of generated radiation, mostly thermal, otherwise people would likely die the moment the beam activated. Not only does this take that technology and scale it down to unprecedented levels, it adds other precise mechanisms to it, such as receding and rotating emitters.

Another factor that weighed in is that a technology somewhat similar to this, at least in the purpose of being a forearm-mounted lightsaber, already exists in the lightsaber gauntlet. If you really want to go with this conceptual design, divvy it up in a less intricately and extreme way.

 

[Crim]

Well keep in mind that this is not only built in to a prosthetic arm, thus allowing for more leeway, but the original design was for a pretty large character, whose hands are, thus, bigger.

 

[Dmitri]

Old Spice, an inquiry: Is this person obtaining this arm Force sensitive and have lightsaber training? To my knowledge, one needs at least the latter to be able to wield any form of lightsaber.

 

[Crim]

Sí, señor

 

[Demiurge]

It's the design itself that I cannot see as being legitimately believable. If you have the means, you can illustrate the design to show how it could be technologically conceivable assuming you're discontent with the former option. Otherwise, I'd be more inclined to scratch this concept, bro.

 

[Solaris]

It's not excessively miniaturized, though. Much of the large components are located in the forearm, conducting on to the emitters on the fingers. We already know emitters can be smaller than that - there are plasma torches in real life that are of similarly small scale, and the lightsaber's emitter is not a complex piece of technology. It's a magnet with a wonky field shape. It had to be of a certain size to produce a beam of a certain size - there's nothing I've seen to indicate that it couldn't be scaled down to something smaller. Crossguard lightsabers, despite being one of the stupidest lightsaber designs I've seen, have an emitter for a blade that seems to be about the same scale as the ones he's trying to make here. It looks to me like it shares most of the components with the main blade, but the crystal (maybe) and everything forward of that are separate.

Re: Power cells.

"The components are fairly simple. Every lightsaber has a standard power source, the same type used in small blasters, even in glowpanels. They last a long time, though, because Jedi should rarely use their lightsabers. […] One of the other crucial pieces is a focusing crystal. The most powerful and sought-after gems are rare Kaiburr crystals. However, though lightsabers are powerful weapons, their design is so flexible that practically any kind of crystal can be used." - Luke Skywalker to his students

Evidently Diatium power cells are pretty common. Even looking at the size of the one on Anakin's lightsaber, you could have three or four of those power apparatuses built into a fancy gauntlet on your forearm without significant encumbrance or too much bulk - and Old Spice said his character was going to be larger than human. While it certainly wouldn't work on something that passes as an unmodified human hand it's a rather large and consequently bulky piece of equipment that has space for big ol' sausage fingers.

What I'm unclear on is if this is a glove or a prosthetic. It gets more viable space-wise if it's a prosthetic; servo-motors to replicate organic strength don't have to be very large at all. I'd also do away with the variable blade length, as increasing complexity on something this experimental is never a good plan.

I'm not saying it's a good idea, but it's one that's perhaps a bit more workable than it seems initially.

 

[Dmitri]

Let me ask this: What's the practicality of lightsaber claws? The size and weight needed for such feint would be large, thus lessening dexterity and agility, which seem like the main reasons a person would have wanted lightclaws in the first place. In other words, the benefits I could see from wanting such claws are negated by the practicality by the quantity needed to have such weaponry.

 

[Solaris]

The practical benefits, for combat and combat only? The lightclaw is terrible as a weapon. A Jedi isn't just a warrior, and a lightsaber (or in this case, lightclaw) isn't just a weapon.

 

[Demiurge]

I'll humor this, but for future reference, rulings against technologies in a denied state will not be argued.

It's not excessively miniaturized, though. Much of the large components are located in the forearm, conducting on to the emitters on the fingers.

That's not stated, nor does it change the fact that it's essentially five lightsaber components heavily scaled down and compressed to fit within an arm, regardless of it being a feline species.

We already know emitters can be smaller than that - there are plasma torches in real life that are of similarly small scale, and the lightsaber's emitter is not a complex piece of technology.

A lightsaber is nothing like a plasma torch, and real life sciences do not apply in this case as the lightsaber itself defies real world science of physics as we know it. And the lightsaber's emitter is complex technology - it is considered virtually impossible to even construct one without Jedi or Sith training. That is a long established canon fact, and it was the point of astonishment when the first canon character, Jaden Korr, did so. Besides that, it took the Jedi Order thousands of years to master the technology.

It's a magnet with a wonky field shape

I assume you're speaking of the matrix, not the emitter, in which case that's a gross simplification. The emitter matrix refocused the beam following the focusing lens through a series of artificially induced electromagnetic fields with further modulation. It does not have a "wonky field shape", it creates an electromagnetic feedback loop of sorts.

It had to be of a certain size to produce a beam of a certain size - there's nothing I've seen to indicate that it couldn't be scaled down to something smaller.

The fact that there is no evidence to indicate that it can be scaled down smaller is the issue. The size had less to do with the issue of the beam's size, so much as the beam's stability.

Crossguard lightsabers, despite being one of the stupidest lightsaber designs I've seen, have an emitter for a blade that seems to be about the same scale as the ones he's trying to make here.

Crossguards (1) are not five lightsabers consolidated to be interworking together, (2) are part of a single design, and do not have the majority of their functions unique unto themselves, and (3) are only very slightly smaller in size than the main blade emitters. Even then, there is no schematic beyond the blade emitters to suggest there is anything more within them, especially given their space. Most notably, regarding the emitter matrix and power cells.

It looks to me like it shares most of the components with the main blade, but the crystal (maybe) and everything forward of that are separate.

It doesn't.

Evidently Diatium power cells are pretty common.

This was never an issue.

Even looking at the size of the one on Anakin's lightsaber, you could have three or four of those power apparatuses built into a fancy gauntlet on your forearm without significant encumbrance or too much bulk - and Old Spice said his character was going to be larger than human. While it certainly wouldn't work on something that passes as an unmodified human hand it's a rather large and consequently bulky piece of equipment that has space for big ol' sausage fingers.

That's heavily faulty reasoning, as it is not only the diatium power cells that must fit within a hilt. A lightsaber is a schematically precise system. Technically speaking, you can spatially cram several car engines into the structural space of an Altima, but by practical design, only a single engine can fit. Otherwise, the car will not function per its purpose. And even then, mass-wise, it could be comparable to a thin arm and a body builder's. Visually, they are distinct, but it is not significant enough to call this conceivable.

What I'm unclear on is if this is a glove or a prosthetic. It gets more viable space-wise if it's a prosthetic; servo-motors to replicate organic strength don't have to be very large at all. I'd also do away with the variable blade length, as increasing complexity on something this experimental is never a good plan.

I'm not saying it's a good idea, but it's one that's perhaps a bit more workable than it seems initially.

Most likely, this is prosthetic. However, there is a LOT that goes into the functionality of a working prosthetic appendage - merging that with weapons is extremely rare in canon, only a few even exist. Merging five lightsabers, including specialized mechanics on each of them, is not believable. I appreciate your vocality, and from Old Spice, I will listen to his efforts to make this work, but in its current condition, this is not up for debate.

 

[Crim]

Schematics are being drawn now. Hope they turn out well. I apologize for the drama caused by this.

Also, to clear things up, the character using this is not a Jedi or a Sith. He is also a larger and much stronger character. Think 'massive sentient polar bear'. Will add his species to the species page later.

 

[Solaris]

Dude, where's the drama? We disagreed, sure, but that doesn't equate out to drama. I simply mistook this for something that wasn't a closed case.

 

[Cassanova]

Just to completely throw a spanner in the proverbial works on this thread. In my cruising of www.cghub.com I found this:

http://cghub.com/images/view/41077/

Not sure which way this sways the argument as this is only a concept, but not a 'canon' replication...

 

[StormWolf]

Rather than being Edward Saber-hands, saber projectors mounted on a gauntlet would seem to be more solid. Think about it conceptually. While the blades weigh nothing, the transferred energy from clashing or cutting anything would put a needless level of stress on the finger joints, if not break them outright. Right below the wrist is a very powerfully built area of humanoid anatomy, able with withstand much greater pressure than the finger joints ever could. That is why when we really want to hurt someone,

Spoiler: you don't hit them like this

Spoiler: but like this

 

[Cassanova]

lol, the single two best gifs EVER to explain that concept, Stormwolf. +10.

 

[Alexander Dregar]

If I had to guess, the reason he is choosing the current form, is he is not using a human, but a giant bear who is already used to using claws as weapons, maybe? And well that means it might be hard for him to hold a standard lightsaber, and whos body is designed for such combat. But still, I feel the tried and true wolverine like claws would be a better match in that case.

But what do I know?

 

[StormWolf]

Claws are good because they are not that far away from the fingers, so the tendons and muscle groups can handle the pressure better. Put a 4-5 foot extension on each and the lever is too big compared to the size of the fulcrum. Even actual bears don't have that large of claws just for that reason. Sure, you could explain away larger bones or greater bone density, but the fingers would be breaking at the joints. Even wolverine, with his adamantium frame, had claws that protruded from his knuckles, a much sturdier part of the hand, the part made for punching, which has the more dense and durable bones in the hand. The gauntlet idea could do something similar, and have the blade projectors situated above the knuckles, so they are something like a katar.

Concept artist in game designs. This shit is what I do :P