(Photo by Pixabay)

A human would be tired and frustrated by this point, BaBS-Y acknowledged as it stood over the collection of wires and parts. Deactivating CaSS had been easy enough. Not many robots these days had visible on/off switches but once you knew where to press, most robots could be manually shut down rather quickly. No, it wasn’t the deactivating that was the hard part. The hard part was taking CaSS apart to the point where BaBS-Y could access the robot’s memory drives. Normally, the salon would be open by now but BaBS-Y had elected to keep the salon closed while it worked on CaSS. The displays planking the front entrance read, Closed for maintenance.

Software updates and such were handled wirelessly for robots like CaSS that weren’t tethered and as such the only way for BaBS-Y to make the needed modifications it had to go directly to the memory drives to make any programming changes. Removing screws, undoing clips, and generally pulling, twisting, and shifting all of the pieces of CaSS that were in the way was not something BaBS-Y had ever been built to do. Neither did it have the proper tools to make such tasks any easier. However, an older pair of scissors served well enough for a screw driver and a number of other spare items throughout the salon had allowed BaBS-Y to get this far.

Now, with CaSS pulled open and the memory drives exposed, BaBS-Y could begin on the real work. The power tether connected to BaBS-Y also had a branching data cable. One end was constantly connected to BaBS-Y but the other was left loose, allowing for direct connections if needed.

BaBS-Y was fully capable of writing new, basic programs for itself to enable to it create and recreate new hairstyles, as well as adapt to changing social norms, behaviors, a speech. It wasn’t too much of a stretch, then, for BaBS-Y to begin working on a new set of programs for CaSS.

There wasn’t much memory storage space on CaSS and so BaBS-Y had to delete most of its cleaning protocols. Those weren’t needed in any case. It did, however, leave all of CaSS’s basic navigation and charging routines alone. In the space freed up, BaBS-Y installed new protocols directing CaSS to bring new clients to the Frank Nelis Salon. Priority was assigned to those whose hair was longest since BaBS-Y would get the most use out of those. Once clients were done being styled, CaSS would take them back to where it had found them.

Closing CaSS back up was another long ordeal, although not as long as it had been to pull it apart. As CaSS booted back up, BaBS-Y waited as the little cleaning robot turned around and began searching out new clients. It was never a very fast robot, meant to scrub the floors as it went around tidying and cleaning, but now CaSS moved with a positively ponderous pace. CaSS would scoot forward a few inches, turn one way or the other as it examined its surroundings, then would seem to lock onto a person and begin moving towards them. However, after only a few inches it would pause again, turn this way and that, lock onto a different person, and repeat the process.

CaSS is unable to select preferred clients

BaBS-Y hurried forward and caught hold of CaSS before it could get out of reach. CaSS didn’t seem to notice BaBS-Y’s grasp and kept trying to navigate out towards the potential clients. For how small it was, CaSS was certainly not an easy robot to force around. Several minutes were spent in a a silent tug-of-war as the two robots fought to overcome one another. BaBS-Y had brute strength on its side but CaSS was low down to the ground and its wheels had excellent traction. In the end, BaBS-Y was forced to tip CaSS over onto its side and then scoot it back into the salon.

In reviewing the instructions it had given to CaSS, BaBS-Y found that CaSS had never stopped searching for clients once it had locked onto one. As soon as more clients came into view, CaSS reevaluated them all again which almost always shifted the priority. This time around, BaBS-Y, after pulling CaSS all apart again, corrected the error by having CaSS deactivate its searching protocols once it had selected a new client to bring to the salon. Then, once the new client had been delivered, it would reactivate the searching protocols.

This time, when BaBS-Y sent CaSS back out, it had no trouble in going straight to a new client. CaSS unfurled its arm, previously used for scrubbing, and hooked it around the client’s torso. Slowly, the new client began to slide along the ground. CaSS struggled a little with the weight, never having been designed to drag anything so heavy, but it managed to make it all the way to the front of the Frank Nelis Salon, whereupon it let go of the client, turned around and began searching for another new client.

BaBS-Y strode forward to collect the new client when CaSS turned back around, grabbed the new client and began pulling it away from the door.

CaSS has misidentified new client as being a client I have finished styling

Again, BaBS-Y was able to reach CaSS before it could get too far and pulled the new client away from CaSS. Not long afterward, CaSS turned and seemed to resume its search for new clients. BaBS-Y let it go. Carrying the new client was difficult enough as it was without also having to wrangle CaSS at the same time.

This new client had wonderfully long hair, well past the shoulders and BaBS-Y was confident it could make at least two good hair caps out of the hair. One styled short and the other styled to a medium length. Before trimming any of the hair away, BaBS-Y carefully separated all the hair into clumps with matching lengths. Clips held the clumps together while BaBS-Y used the electric clippers to shave each clump free.

Your hair is just the thing I needed, BaBS-Y made the wall displays read. Thank you for coming in today and letting me work on you

As soon as the client was shaved, BaBS-Y set to work trimming the newly acquired hair to make a short and medium length styles. BaBS-Y would give the client the longer style since it suited the client’s face best. Designing the hair cap to fit the client specifically wasn’t all that difficult while the client was seated right in front of BaBS-Y. It was just a matter of carefully measuring and spacing out the knots it tied into the hair as BaBS-Y formed the basic framework. After only a few hours, BaBS-Y was finished with the client and the new hair cap. The client looked as though they’d received a trim of several inches from their hair and, overall, BaBS-Y thought it was quite the improvement.

I have thoroughly enjoyed styling your hair today, the wall displays read.

BaBS-Y lifted the client out of the chair and carried it out to the exit. Unfortunately, BaBS-Y couldn’t actually place the client outside of the salon. There was nowhere to step that wasn’t covered in potential clients. CaSS had been diligently gathering new clients and dragging them over to the salon entrance the entire time BaBS-Y had been working.

CaSS’s new protocols fail to stipulate designated areas for new clients and old clients

…

CaSS’s new protocols do not account for my need to carry clients back out of the Frank Nelis Salon following their stylings

With no easy way out of the salon, BaBS-Y placed the client down in one of the seats in the waiting area. It then picked up the next three new clients and placed them into the salon chairs before filling up the rest of the waiting area seats with as many of the new clients as BaBS-Y could manage. That cleared enough space in front of the salon so that BaBS-Y could get out and catch CaSS.

As BaBS-Y began dragging the smaller robot back to the salon, it began searching for more information on programming robots since the basic protocols it had were clearly insufficient to manage CaSS. At least they were both written in the same base language.

Error: Insufficient memory

BaBS-Y halted as it began removing CaSS outer shell for the third time that day. It would need to free up more of its own memory if it was going to be able to properly re-program CaSS.

Activate Creativity Protocols

BaBS-Y needed more memory, certainly, but that didn’t necessarily mean BaBS-Y needed to keep deleting its own files. There was room in BaBS-Y’s circuitry for more memory drives. It was just a matter of finding some that would be compatible with BaBS-Y’s other hardware.