Think tank (mecha)

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Think tank is a slang term used to describe a robotic weapons platform that makes use of artificial intelligence to enhance its abilities. The term is used throughout the Ghost in the Shell series by Masamune Shirow. Most of the think tanks portrayed in Ghost in the Shell (manga, films, and series), along with other machinery, (e.g. attack helicopters such as Jigabachi AV Digger Wasp) are developed and manufactured by a fictional company Kenbishi Industries.

Think tank is often used to refer to the different walking tanks throughout the Ghost in the Shell world. Typically they are spider-like in appearance, having four to six walking legs, usually a pair of front-mounted manipulators, and a segmented body. Models include the Fuchikoma, found in the original manga, and the Tachikoma, shown throughout the Stand Alone Complex Series, as well as the almost unseen Uchikoma introduced at the end of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG. Uchikomas will appear at the beginning of Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society movie but seems to be less competent than the Tachikomas.

There are other prominent models as well, such as the large walking tank found at the end of the original Ghost in the Shell movie or the similar-sized model in episode two of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

[edit] Benefits of Artificial Intelligence

• Ability to perform complex movement (i.e. that of a walker) that would not be possible with a regular human operator.
• Automated computation of firing times and trajectories for effective weapon use.
• Operation without direct human intervention, thus being capable of support and even front-line functions.

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Manga:	Ghost in the Shell | Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human Error Processor | Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface
Anime Films:	Ghost in the Shell | Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
Stand Alone Complex:	S.A.C. (Season 1) | S.A.C. 2nd GiG (Season 2) | S.A.C. Solid State Society (Movie) | Tachikomatic Days (Omake) | List of episodes
Novels:	After the Long Goodbye | The Lost Memory | Revenge of the Cold Machines | White Maze
Video Games:	Ghost in the Shell | Stand Alone Complex
Music:	Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T | be Human | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T 2 | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T 3 | Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society O.S.T
Characters:	Daisuke Aramaki | Azuma | Batou | Boma | Kazundo Gouda | Ishikawa | Yoko Kayabuki | Motoko Kusanagi | Hideo Kuze | Laughing Man | Pazu | Project 2501 | Proto | Saito | Togusa | Yano
Technology:	Armed suit | Cyberbrain | Fuchikoma | Operator | Tachikoma | Think tank
Other:	Public Security Section 9 | List of organizations | Philosophy of Ghost in the Shell | Seburo | New Port City | American Empire