[MOC] A.P.M. (Autonomous Patrol Machine)

[deltamc]

Classification: AI-equipped armored patrol platform
Chassis: 6x6, electric drive (silent operation)
Manufacturer: Unknown (presumably pre-war defense plants)

1. Six Wheels and Silence
The A.P.M. moves almost silently — only the soft rustle of tires on gravel. Raiders call it “The Whisper” because it appears from nowhere. The first thing an intruder hears isn’t the roar of an engine, but the clanking of a deploying MLRS behind them.
“We were hiding in the bushes, waiting for a caravan. Then I just felt someone breathing down my neck. I turned around — that damn thing was already ten meters away, headlights off, wheels barely turning. And a voice: ‘Perimeter violation. Three seconds.’”
— Dirty Jim, raider, the sole survivor of his gang

2. Extendable Lidar (The Fragile Heart)
This is the A.P.M.’s most vulnerable part. The complex optics only rise when scanning the terrain — in combat mode, it retracts behind armor, and the machine goes “blind,” relying on cameras and thermal sensors.
Locals know: if you see the lidar raised — stay quiet. The machine is in reconnaissance mode, its AI overloaded with data processing and reacting more slowly.
But if the lidar suddenly retracts — run. Hell is about to begin.

3. Unguided Rockets Under Armor
The most controversial design element. The A.P.M. has no targeting systems for its rockets — it’s purely an area saturation weapon. The AI only opens the rocket hatches as a last resort, when the target is a group of raiders or heavy vehicles.

4. Satellite dish (“The Pinwheel”)
A satellite dish that rotates on its axis even while moving. Its job is to relay a signal to the settlement.
As soon as the A.P.M. detects raiders, it sends a coded pulse. Residents hear it over the radio and prepare for defense.

5. Diagnostic Terminal (The Hidden Heart)
Hidden under the armor, is a diagnostic terminal. Only a mechanic with access can connect to reconfigure the AI, fix critical errors, or “calm” the machine after a heavy battle.

Free instructions: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-272866

 

 

 

Edited 36 minutes ago by deltamc