velociraptor design
The velociraptor's vision system started as simple predatory binocular vision, but began to evolve, when Mia Kato, newly named as acting CTO, began considering a dual-mode vision system: one a conventional daytime color mode, the other an ultra-sharp, black-and-white night vision setup. The concept made abundant sense for the developing world, where many prey animals are less vigilant during the night and good day vision is still necessary.
At a July board meeting, the design team presented an array of innovative prototype designs that would lead to the iconic "green creature", with its distinctive pencil-yellow claws, which was unveiled to the world by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at the World Summit on the Paleontological Society in Dinosaur National Park.
The yellow claws, while cute, in the end proved insufficiently durable; they migrated to more standard claws and carnivore teeth. Their status as an icon for OVPC would be supplanted by the bright green skin contrasted with jet black claws and a slightly upturned mouth. At the same time, our development team made a strong case for fitting the dinosaur with a new form of preconditioning to simplify the velociraptor's transitions from classic hunting mode to playful interactions to light pack animal. Later that fall members of the first generation of the first XD test breed, the B1 (Beta1), were shipped off the development farm.
Early the next year, the B2 iteration of XD, stronger, sturdier, with a slightly shifted center of balance, was ready for its debut. B3 followed several months later, and cages of B4 velociraptors arrived in OVPC offices early this summer.
