Psycommu

In the fictional Gundam universe, a psycommu is a device connected directly into the user's thoughts, through which the user can manipulate a device by using his or her mind. The device name is a portmanteau of psychic and communicator.

To many Gundam fandom, the psycommu system was used to describe all brainwave interface, or system used to control remote weapons. Thus, while the psycommu system should only be used to describe the brainwave system exclusively used by psychically gifted humans known as Newtypes, the term was also used to describe the numerous variants emerged in all Gundam universes.

Psycommu System

In the U.C. timeline, the research into psycommu was due to radio interference by Minovsky particles. By chance, they discovered that the brainwave can bypass the interference. Thus, the Duchy of Zeon began researching into the newtype power, and developed the psycommu system for use of newtypes.

In essence, a psycommu system works by passively scanning the powerful brainwaves of newtypes, and then translating these brainwaves into raw machine codes. 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. Later on, it was also used to increase response times.

In the Gundam universe’s year 0087, a psycommu system was specifically designed for interfacing the newtype pilot and a mobile suit was created, called a bio-sensor. It was an attempt to build a smaller, more economical psycommu system. Though the exact nature of the bio-sensor is unknown, its primary purpose was to allow a Newtype pilot to more easily interface with his mobile suit. The bio-sensor would amplify the power, speed and strength of the mobile suit for a short period of time, and in some cases use the psychic power as a weapon when the pilot was mentally and emotionally distraught, usually when angry or upset.

In the Gundam universe’s year 0093, a system known as psycho frame was created. Instead of merely relying on a system, it built the cockpit walls and inner frame with numerous microscopic psycommu receptor chips, allowing instant responses by the pilot, as well as assisting in reading the pilots thoughts. A positive side effect is weight loss in the system. It also assisted non-newtype pilots in detect incoming enemies. However, it has drawbacks. When numerous human beings concentrate hard enough on a single thought, it can create a force so great that can rip a mobile suit into pieces, as well as pushing an asteroid out of its falling path.

Quasi Psycommu and Neo Psycommu

Since newtypes and strengthed humans are rare, another psycommu system was created. Dubbed as "poor man's psycommu", the quasi psycommu system actively scanned for the pilot's brainwaves, no matter how weak they are, and then let the computer translate the thoughts. In turn, they could control wire-guided weapons. They had to be wire-guided due to Minovsky particles created by the weapons themselves. The system was first developed in Neue Ziel by the Axis Zeon in 0083, only known as "half-control computer system". Later, the Titans, in the Gundam universe’s year 0087, developed their own miniaturized version, which appeared in the Gundam Mk-V. It was then given to the Axis Zeon as a gift, which is used to produce Doven Wolf.

Neo psycommu took it a step further, in that it allowed the pilot to control the suit with just his thoughts, without any manual controls. The only example of this was the huge mobile armor Rafflesia, in which the pilot's helmet contained numerous neural receptor and connected to the suit through fiber optics.

The EXAM, Bio-computer and ZERO systems

The bio-computer was developed in U.C. 0123, first employed in 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 analyzes the data observed from the sensors, and then feeds it directly to the pilot's brain.

It was later revived in a similar form in the Gundam W series, as the ZERO system. Essentially, it allowed the pilot to directly interface with the combat computer. Due to the bidirectional nature of the system, the system had the negative side effect of creating hallucinations for those with poor mental strength, as the mood and thinking of the pilot can create a feedback loop in the system.

The EXAM system, which appeared in the manga Blue Destiny, was quite similar to the ZERO system, except for the fact that it worked by using the soul of Newtype Marion Welch, which was embedded into the system. Due to the fact that it contained a soul, it may sometimes go berserk and cannot be controlled by the pilot. To counter this the operation time is limited to 5 minutes.

Angel Halo

In V-Gundam, a psycommu fortress known as Angel Halo was created. Basically a circular object of 120 kilometers with a control ship in the middle, it could open up into three rings. Where as the other psycommu systems merely read brainwaves and translated them into machine code to control the weapons, the Angel Halo harassed the power of hundreds of newtypes (controlled by one single newtype in the middle) and used them directly as weapon. It was used to attempt to mind wipe of all inhabitants of Earth. It was self-destructed by the controller newtype at the end of the series.

Flash system

In the After War gundam X series, a similar system, known as flash system, was employed. Aside from the standard psycommu fare, it was also used by Gundam X and Gundam Double X to contact the lunar energy station to power up its satellite cannons.

DRAGOON and the Gunbarrel system

In the Cosmic Era of the Gundam SEED series, the Gunbarrel system and DRAGOON system are very similar to the psycommu system. However, they differed in that both systems did not rely on the brainwaves of a newtype for communication. Instead, it read the spatial coordinates of the brainwave and sent it to the remote weapons either by wire or quantum communications. It required either a newtype, a person with high spatial awareness, or three pilots for coordinating the dimensions to use.

Similar systems

Numerous similar systems have been used as plot devices in other science fiction anime. For example, the entry plug system in Evangelion worked on the same principles as the neo-psycommu system.