Norm's 520 hours on the link, with what?

[exostrike]

Something I've just realised while rewatching Avatar, on what did Norm spend those 520 hours (or so) on the link system?

It can't be avatar since their need to be a direct match. It is possible there are training Avatars cacapble of limited linkage, but apart from that the only other possablities are the primates and mindwiped convicts mentioned in the development of the Avatar unit. Now doesn't that just change the movie, all these new relatable characters who have participated in a moraly questionable process.

[prowler]

I'm guessing some kind of virtual link chamber were he is in an virtual avatar and not his actual avatar, don't see how else he would of gotten 520 hours.

[_Omaticaya_]

Well first of all 520 hours is a LOT isn't it? I think as there are simulators for everything these days, it might have been like, the Same exact linker and process, but then connected to a screen or a 'virtual life' sort of thing or hologram or something, monitored. I mean, It's 2154, they have invented pretty much anything by then, they'll have a way to train without using the actual Avatar which is a very rare expensive gift and honour for special chosen scientists, suck as Jake Sully... LOL! Funny thing is, they forgot what actually matters in the avatar -.- not just the head, but the Physical abilities, and the Guts. Jake is a tough Marine, and no matter how many science pukes tryout avatars, It's the body and skills that matter out in the real world, out there on Pandora, and here aswell ofcourse, not the hours in the virtual linker. Jake's "Zip", out-did Norm's "wow 520" in just One. Minute.

[RD-701]

Obviously a simulator of some sort. Doesn't he mention that it's a simulator?

Presumably something that simulates the link, but with a VR simulation on the other side rather than an actual avatar. Presumably they'd use the same link-side hardware as well- getting into the link pod seems pretty second nature to Norm, compared to novice Jake's reaction.

Also, when were mindwiped convicts used in avatar program testing? I thought they used convicts as drivers in testing, not as the actual avatars.

That doesn't mean there aren't morally or ethically shady facets to the Avatar program. The early testing of it seems quite disturbing, and then you have growing brain-dead hybrid genetic composites of an alien species without their permission or support to do so...

[exostrike]

I got the impression that the convicts were used to develop the link technolgy , get it working on human-human first. Then the primates were used to get in working on human-non-human species, before making the jump to the hybrids.

It does also seem hypocritical of the animal rights/religious community that they kick up rough over Lovecraft's awards but seem to turn a blind eye to the project itself, creating artifical life, living slaves etc.

[Foxhound]

They already have something which can transmit an Avatar link signal to ANYWHERE on Pandora. I think that a computer program that would simulate an Avatar would be a walk in the park.

[exostrike]

your probadly right, but I still feel that they would want to train on a 'real' link atleast once. I mean, you don't train aircraft pilots entirely on simulators, they may be a good substitute but you always want some practise with a real aircraft.

[RD-701]

I got the impression that the convicts were used to develop the link technolgy , get it working on human-human first. Then the primates were used to get in working on human-non-human species, before making the jump to the hybrids.

Well, the Pandorapedia states;

Building on work with brain-wiped primates and condemned criminals, Dr. Lovecraft was able to establish that full sensory bonding could be established between human twins, human-animal hybrids that shared common DNA, and human-Na’vi hybrids with common genetic blueprints.

So perhaps the primate and convict experiments were (at least mainly) not examples of a proper driver-avatar relationship, but more to study the basic mechanics of the link process. The Dark Dreamer project was said to come before the Avatar program (and was later adapted into it).

I wonder what the twin experiments entailed though. Perhaps they used twin convicts? If they didn't use human clones at first (a clone could be regarded a delayed twin) it would be quite interesting, since it is said that amnio tanks can be used to grow human clones.

It does also seem hypocritical of the animal rights/religious community that they kick up rough over Lovecraft's awards but seem to turn a blind eye to the project itself, creating artifical life, living slaves etc.

Well, perhaps they do and we just don't see it. But the avatars aren't really slaves, since they're brain-dead. To put it bluntly, they're probably best described as "meat puppets". Artificial life is more of a ethical or moral grey-area. I think it depends more on what you use it for.

your probadly right, but I still feel that they would want to train on a 'real' link atleast once. I mean, you don't train aircraft pilots entirely on simulators, they may be a good substitute but you always want some practise with a real aircraft.

I may be wrong here, but I've heard that all training done by airline pilots is on the simulator, before they're allowed to fly as co-pilots for the first time.

The nature of the link process, associated hardware and biological reactions from both driver and avatar seem fairly characterised, so it shouldn't be too hard to create a high fidelity link simulation. If that isn't enough, there should still be ample oppurtunity for the drivers to get aquainted with the link once they're on Pandora.

[akgeff]

I imagine Norm got to spend some time with his avatar after it was "hatched" but before it was "bottled" for shipping to Pandora. It would have been a child at that time, remember Norm said to Jake that they matured on the trip to Pandora but he didn't mention how old they were when they were shipped. Proly Norm's "initial" training was in a simulator just to make sure he was capable/compitant enough of "driving" an Avatar before they spent the large sums of money to make him one. Was probably part of the "vetting" process to see who got the job as an Avatar driver.

[exostrike]

According to project 880 script the Avatars are grown in those tanks completely (think artifical wombs) and in the movie they still have thier umblical cords attached. Still it is possible they link them up with them while thier still in the tank, to check that the link truely does work.