Automation

* See also Technologies
* See also McClendon
* See also Rapture_Economy
* See also The Thinker
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Understand that Rapture was too small to have Mega Industries, and operates as more of an isolated microcosm Something some Players can't seem to realize, even when thoroughly explained to them about the circumstances of Raptures 'world'. with mostly SMALL Businesses.
But ultra-modern/advanced Labor Saving Automation and Mechanization would go a long way to stretching Rapture's small Population to PROVIDE that Urban economy/society settingModeled after a big city/New York City flavored environment we see.
Much new production in Rapture is small scale with alot of hand labor involved. A great deal is modification and repair to things brought to Rapture. 
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Looks like Remote Actuators usable for Undersea Construction. 
A parallel problem was : Developing the vehicle the 'arms'/"Waldos" were attached to, which was capable of remaining stationary in the water ( even to brace itself) so to handle the forces transmitted to it from the actions the robot arms did doing the various construction work. ) Prefab parts and surface built sub-assemblies might lessen the work required, but it would still be substantial.
Such remote work also required seeing the work with the same arm viewpoint for the operator.
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Latest and Greatest Technologies 
* Remote Control - used heavily by Construction in Deep Water
* Electric Eye activated Doors
* Regulation of Heat and Air (and other utilities)
* Smart Elevators ( or even just 'Pushbutton' elevators )
* Self-Dial Phones
* Giant Power Station
* Pneumatic Mail System
* Public TV and Announcement System
* Urban Transit
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A MAJOR Factor in the Construction of the City :
Deep Sea environment is very difficult and dangerous. Remote Control of Construction Machinery would be done for much of the Construction work, allowing minimizing need for Deep Workers (600 feet down) to use the complex Hard Suits.
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Sorry, Rapture Was NOT Controlled All By The Thinker :
The Thinker may have regulated all the systems in Minerva's Den ( Not though as alleged for all of Rapture ) :
Implied by radio message from Tenenbaum to Sigma :
"Herr Sigma! It is Dr. Tenenbaum! With the computer disabled, Minerva's Den is falling to pieces! No pressure regulation, no air supply! You must defeat Wahl and bring the Thinker back up to full power. "
The Minerva's Den Automatic Control System  (MDACS - tech geeks love acronyms)  was done as a test project to try to prove to Ryan that the same could be done for the City.  This remote site was set up to be controlled/run/maintained using the proposed 'Auto-magic' system. The initial conversion expenses, overhead costs of endless maintenance, failing electrical components, and resulting deadly hazards meant that the proposed citywide project never got past this stage.
Monitoring things like Heat and Air and Electric Power and Water systems would be more a task The Thinker was useful for.
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Practicality :
I have come to the conclusion that most 'business' in Rapture is "SMALL" and there would be very few actual uses for much 'Automation' in production - Something which generally requires 'Mass' production to pay 'upfront' for all the extra expenses 'Automation' to be developed.
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==Fink Could Have Had Automatons And Dumped All The Cattle Over the Side==
Why were all those detested inferior minorities on board contaminating the Holy Ark still in 1912 ???
A Redo of Infinite might set that straight with a more logical setting.
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