Can Robotics be Saved?

[Solenoid]

I feel like a big crisis for roboticists is that there genuinely is not enough to do. Despite the fact that some stations can have up to 3 roboticists, I feel like there's hardly even work for 1 most shifts that I play.

That's why I wanted to make this thread and share some of my suggestions, in addition to hearing what ideas the community has.

So, my ideas from most extreme to least:

1. Make roboticists a medical doctor sub-role, like how mechanics became engineers. I don't really like this solution, but equally I feel like roboticists lack identity as their own distinct class of doctor at the moment. They are the 'doctor who puts together 3-5 borgs at roundstart, slides blank modules into the console when there's downtime, and maybe makes extra shells or puts a cyberorgan into someone if there's a reason to' job. Again, I don't like this option, but it feels pretty realistic if nothing changes to make the Roboticist more unique
   
   
2. Make a new Robotics research system similar to genetics that allows for new part sidegrades and a mild progression system for new upgrades for cyborgs. I know this'll be met with a 'wyci', but I'm honestly open to working on something like that if it ever becomes a real thing. I think that if creating cyborgs/robots allowed for Robotics to earn a research currency to unlock new borg limbs and stuff for cyborgs, you'd both have more of a reason for roboticists to actually do their job, and also a reason for cyborgs to return to Robotics later and get new pieces. Right now, you can get the best parts from roundstart and lots of cyborgs never return to Robotics once set up for the first time unless they want a cerenkite cell or some upgrades they print and equip without any work on your end.
   
   
3. Reduce the amount of roboticists to 1 on smaller maps and 2 on larger ones(instead of 2 and 3), this idea is kind of boring and could lead to teaching newbees being harder, but it also prevents new players from getting put into robotics and having basically nothing to do all shift. This would also maybe lead to cyborgs being ignored if the roboticist is inattentive, not my favorite solution either, but it's an idea.
   
   
4. Expand existing systems in Robotics. Stuff like guardbuddies are already in the game, and could be given to Robotics instead since they don't really make sense in Science. The various little bots that Robotics has could receive some similar function to SecBots and the sec whistle, maybe allowing Roboticists to whistle for MediBots, CleanBots, or FloorBots to move to specific places and do things. I don't know how much this'd add to the role, but it might at least encourage them to leave the department more and interact with the station and their robots. Maybe add new requisitions requiring the creation of a cyborg with specific parts to earn some cyborg upgrades in return.
   
   
5. Finally, give players more of a reason to go and get cyberorgans/robot limbs. Maybe allow humans to get sturdy cyborg arms and gain additional punching strength or something, or add new eye options that would be more useful for more job types. This is the least extreme in my opinion because despite involving the addition of new mechanics, it doesn't change the robotics gameplay loop at all, it just gets more people to interact with it.
   
   

What do you guys think should happen to Robotics? I know that a lot of my ideas I proposed would involve some pretty big amount of spritework and coding, but I'm not trying to demand anything of the community or any development to begin, just to spitball ideas and see what others think could work/not work. None of these suggestions aim to reduce cyborg player autonomy, because I think making your round fully dependent on someone else is kind of lame and doesn't actually make the Roboticist role more fun.