Part 3 of a 3 part story.
*** Part 1 *** Part 2 ***
In 1949 the first Wang XianSheng rolled off the production lines at Beijing’s No.3 Light Industrial Plant. It proved a huge success, with tens of millions being built for Communist China over the next 60 years.
Wang 2.0, released last week, is the new high performance workerbot from CCP Systems. In this review, we are going to look at the various components and compare it with existing models to see if we can answer the question: is this workerbot really the best on the market today?
Wang 2.0 on our test bench – is this the shape of things to come?
First Look – Thin Skin?
As you can see, Wang 2.0 bears a superficial resemblance to the workerbots it is intended to replace. In fact, all the Wang, Gao, Zhang, Li, Liu and Chen workerbots are the product of Harmonious Assimilation Networks (HAN) design studios, and Wang 2.0 is no exception. The difference lies not only under the skin, but includes the skin itself – the skin of the Wang 2.0 is considerably thinner than on any previous model. Some experts consider that this will leave the bot vulnerable to the many skin diseases prevalent in the environments in which it will operate, and indeed this is a valid point, but to understand the real benefits of this thin skin, one must look to the reaction co-processor, a new microcircuit known as the Organism Fabricated for Fighting, Efficient Nullification and Socialist Exploration module (OFFENSE). The new Wang 2.0 is actually capable of claiming offence on behalf of “All The Chinese People”, in a staggering 5,000 different ways! CCP Systems claim that Wang 2.0 is the most easily offended workerbot ever produced, and if the numbers are true, we certainly are impressed.
CPU and Head Systems
The above images show the ‘brain’ of the bot, the CPU, massively increased in size from previous models, and the new Positronic Robotic Organiser Programmed for Accurate Gratification, Adept Nullification and Dangerous Attitudes (PROPAGANDA) chip. You can see the many tendrils that snake throughout the control systems of Wang 2.0 – this is the first time such a complex command node processor has been used in a workerbot.
New hyper-threading technology, invented 5,000 years ago in Xi’an (and recently stolen by Intel), means that Wang 2.0 is the first Chinese workerbot with a true multi-tasking capability, able to eat, excrete, whine, and sleep simultaneously. CCP Systems claim that Wang 2.0 can also walk whilst chewing gum, but our tests showed otherwise. It appears that there is still some way to go before foreign models can be effectively replaced in many roles.
Dual Channel DDR-2 memory by GOLDFISH.
Bionics
A changing, fast-paced world has meant that older, low (and in many cases, no-) productivity models are no longer capable of meeting China’s needs for a modern workforce. Wang 2.0 is designed to be a powerhouse of a production worker. CCP Systems claim Wang 2.0 is the best workerbot in the world – let’s see how it measured up in our benchmarking tests:
Although Wang 2.0 is clearly far superior to the earlier Wang XianSheng series, it still poses no real threat to the current market leaders, although it could easily find its way into the low-cost African market.
The main bionics chassis is built by Lifeform Assemblies for Zealous Yelling (LAZY), and are a direct spin-off from China’s space program astrobot (Synthetic Technician Optimized for Logical Exploration and Nullification, or STOLEN). CCP Systems have not released efficiency rating figures yet, but our tests show that Wang 2.0 is less efficient than its predecessor, Wang XianSheng. Whereas the XianSheng-series could operate on just 7mg of rice and a chicken claw a day, Wang 2.0 requires no less than an entire bowl of congee just to kickstart its primary systems every day. That said, once it gets started, Wang 2.0 is no slouch – speeds of up to 3km/h were recorded during our benchmarking tests. Straight-line distances of nearly a meter were also recorded.
Other Applications
Wang 2.0 is clearly intended to form the basis of a new range of workerbots, with potential military, social, governmental, and espionage applications, and a recently released photograph shows Wang 2.0 adapted for use as a high-altitude construction worker:
Conclusion
Wang 2.0 is truly a very high-end bot that will bring an impressive performance boost if you are a serious manufacturer in the Chinese marketplace.
In factory environments with work quality settings configured at “high”, Wang 2.0 was between 62% and 70% faster than Wang XianSheng and between 62% and 68% faster than Gao XianSheng. In the same factory with work quality settings configured at “low”, Wang 2.0 was between 67% and 126% faster than Wang XianSheng – here however Liu2000 and Harmonious Li achieved the same performance level, with the only significant difference seen at lunchtime, where this workerbot from CCP Systems was 34% faster than any other model.
We are now even more curious to see the performance of Wang 2.0 ‘AYI’, as it will reach the market costing “only” USD$400. We hope to get one very soon. Stay tuned!
Wo Shi Laowai - Wo Pa Shui 
