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Greetings, Rifters! I'm running an encounter this weekend with a group of ne'er-do-wells and I like the idea of a robot mechanic being used by the group. My question is as follows, are there robots specifically used as repair mechanics or should I just modify an existing one for the purpose?

Thanks in advance for the response.

NGR might have some.
I'm pretty sure the Mechanoids have some.
Not sure of any other sources off-hand.

I do not think there is any manned robot design specific to robot repair, but Triax and NG and the Mechanoids all have autonomous robots with the task in mind.

Piloted Labor 'bots are not very common:
NGR has a few between its two main books
NG has a one in SB1o/r (likely reprinted in one of the NG books)
Japan has a few
Kittani might also

Best bet is to either modify an existing design OR use Source Book 1's Robot RCC tables to create a Robot for the task (might need Heroes Unlimited main book with a more expansive take on the class for a piloted version).

Not a full robot (and, yeah, SB1's robot design rules will be best for this), but I do have a RMK-based Robot Diagnostic Kit in Rifts: Houstown

Robot Diagnostic Kit: 30,000 credits for power armor or motorcycle-sized vehicles, 50,000 credits for giant robots or larger vehicles; information disks cost 7000 credits each
Each Robot Diagnostic Kit is programmed with one specific model of power armor or vehicle. Upon activation, it releases a number of our special robots (twenty for the smaller sized machines, thirty for the larger) which seek out damaged systems and report back to the case, providing a mechanic with a complete diagnosis of the machine's status, all within only 30 minutes! While the robots do not repair the damage, they are 75% accurate, and provide invaluable information for a mechanic.
While each kit is only programmed with the information for a single vehicle or power armor, the system can be reprogrammed with information disks; each different model of commercial power armor, robot, vehicle, or 'borg chassis costs 7000 credits and is accurate to 60%. Remove the disk, and the RDK returns to full efficiency for its original unit.
(Any mechanic making use of this diagnostic tool receives a special +15% bonus to repair the vehicle or power armor; this is reduced to +10% if the system has been reprogrammed. Attempting to use the RDK on a design for which has not been programmed, or a design which is too large for it, reduces the bonus to +1D20 -10%; penalties are possible, and the new penalty or bonus must be determined each time the RDK is used. Someone with both Robot Mechanics, Bioware Mechanics, Automotive Mechanics, or Aircraft Mechanics AND Computer Programming can program an effective information disk; takes 1D4 days of work.)

Take a look at the CS Skelebot Specialist OCC (Heroes of Humanity, p111). It comes with a "Skelebot Repair Assistant," a reprogrammed 'bot to help repair other 'bots.

Should be simple to do something similar with a commercially available Triax 'bot, or a custom created 'bot using the SB1 creation rules.

Industrial or Labor Class Robots or Power Armor (in their description)

Power Armors:
-NE-PA003 Drudge Industrial Power Armor (DB8 pg55-7)
-In'valin Exosuit in DB3 might also count (note restricted race)

Robots (*means unpiloted)
-IR-2015 Crab Walker (WB8 pg164-5, note knockoff exists)
-NG-W10 Heavy Labor Bot* (SB1o pg51-3, SB1r pg59-61 and I'm assuming one of the NG world books I don't have page references)
-NG-W9 Light Labor Bot* (SB1o pg50-1, SB1r pg56-8, as NG-W10)
-H-Brand Battler 1 (WB8 pg167-8)
-IR-2020 Wrecker (WB8 pg167-8)
-NG-V10 Super Robot Vehicle (SB1o pg53-4, as NG-W10)
-Mechanoid Runt Repair Unit (SB2 pg76-7)
-Triax DB-12 Dyna Bot* in SB1o/r and WB5 (plus other domestic 'bots in WB31)
-the Kittani also have a labor drone bot in WB2
-technically IIRC the Faerie Bot Vehicle found in WB30/WB20 can be used for repair (note race restricted)
-Megaversally Robotech offers the VF-1 Valkaryie with utility arms for repairs (both 1E or 2E) and in the old 1E there are Engineering Drones on the Factor Satellites (found in 1E REF Field Guide or Bk6 Return of the Masters), however this would require importing to Rifts setting (I do not recommend it) but could be used as a starting point.

World Book 5 mentions a few more instances in the fluff descriptions of being used for Mechanics: X-60 Flanker (pg51-4 and mentioned in the XM-170 pg122-4 and again as an assignment PA for Field Mechanic OCC pg162) and the XM-60 Field Mechanic Pod (pg119, not a 'bot/PA).

There may be more hardware that can and is used in labor/industrial roles, for example just about any exo-skeleton should be viable. Some piloted Robots might also work for the role, though will need modification/special equipment depending on the work you actually want the giant robot to do.

Something that occurs to me that might work better than SB1's Robot RCC is to just contruct a Full Conversion Cyborg that is geared toward repair work and just call it a power armor (or a drone 'bot or giant robot vehicle).

You might also look at the robots section in the middle of the AU:GG gamebook. There are also some technical manuals later in the equipment section that can help with doing skills.

There is also the Robotic power cat in the HU 2nd ed core book (along with the 1st ed HU core book), and the Rifts Sourcebook One. These texts let you build a 'android' or 'robot' to specifications.

As for PA's or ExO mecha that are for mechaniches...Quebec has a recovery vehicle, so there might be something there, and the aforementioned TRIAX PA.
ExO Suits: The is text in the HU:AU book in the equipment section at the back of the book.

This is probably too late for your encounter, Rifter_GM, so I apologize.

Generally robots lack access to the more advanced Mechanical and Electrical skills (Bioware Mechanics, Robot Mechanics, Weapons Engineer, Robot Electronics), leaving them unable to effect the most serious of repairs without assistance. A Triax Dyna-Bot (WB5 pp 82-84) and Northern Gun NG-WD71 Robosistant (WB 34 pp 249-251) are good examples of robots capable of programming at this skill level, as are custom robots from Sourcebook 1.

The Skelebot Repair Assistant (Heroes of Humanity pp 114-116) does possess the latter three of the above skills, but can only really apply them to Coalition-specific equipment with any likelihood of success.

An Advanced AI created with the Heroes Unlimited rules can have access to the advanced mechanical/electrical skills, but would have to be considered to begin at a higher level (gains 1 "scholarly" skill per level), has far fewer initial skills, and is presumably an S.D.C. robot from a different dimension.

Dont forget the Grease Monkey power armor from Northern Gun 2. its a wearable one-man mechanical workshop.

Mack wrote:Take a look at the CS Skelebot Specialist OCC (Heroes of Humanity, p111). It comes with a "Skelebot Repair Assistant," a reprogrammed 'bot to help repair other 'bots.

Should be simple to do something similar with a commercially available Triax 'bot, or a custom created 'bot using the SB1 creation rules.

Basically any triax labor bot with the correct skill set programing or something like the northern gun labor bots with that the right programing chips would fill that role. The skelebot one is just a more combat oriented version of a labor bot. Something that can be an extra pair of hands has diagnostic abilities and strong enough to work as a vise/small crane to work on stuff.

One thing I would probably note is robots make better assistant mechanics than primary mechanics. Most of the robots short of AI ones tend to be pretty literal so for best performance should have a trained operator directing them to their tasks.

As mentioned the grease monkey power armor has the built in tools for many repairs and in my opinion if looking for an actual robotic (artificial intelligence) assistant it would not take too much for a reasonably skilled operator to remove the controles for a living pilot and install the computer "brain" thus making it an actual programmable robot