Due to the nature of science, this page can be out of date or lacking information. This page will be updated as soon as we can. We thank you for your patience crewmate!
Research and Development (commonly called R&D or RnD) is the job of the Scientists. The department typically lies behind purple and grey doors. In the department typically exists a set of Lathe and R&D machines. Often you will see lockers with lab equipment in them.
R&D gameplay largely revolves around the acquisition and use of research points to gain new technologies for the station.
Point Generation
Research points can be acquired through a few different sources.
The most profitable form of point generation is Xenoarcheology, which is the process of analyzing and activating different randomly generated artifacts that can be found via events, salvage debris, and by ordering them from cargo. Most artifacts have more than one "Stimulus-Reaction" combination (known scientifically as Nodes), so make sure to scan and activate as many of them as you can before selling it to cargo, or keeping it around because its effects are cool enough to warrant keeping.
Another highly valuable source of research points is Anomalous Research. Most R&D departments come equipped with an Anomaly Generator, Anomalous Particle Emitters (A.P.E.) and Anomaly Vessels, which are used to spawn, interact with, and generate points from anomalies respectively. Anomalies can come in different forms, ranging from raging balls of pink-hot matter, to electrically-discharging motes of light, to radioactive gravity wells, so make sure to wear some protective gear while studying them.
Points can also be acquired through research disks, which can be found in maintenance, salvaged from space, or found on expeditions.
R&D System
The user interface of the R&D Console
In the R&D computer new technologies can be unlocked via points. To research a technology, click on it if it's in the Unlockable technologies column. Technologies in the Future technologies are locked behind others, requiring you to research a previous technology (in the Unlockable technologies column). Technologies in the Unlocked technologies section have already been researched.
R&D Tree
The R&D tree is the main focus of the R&D system. The R&D Tree system is composed of four categories: Industrial, Arsenal, Experimental, and Civilian Services. When accessing the R&D console you will get a choice of one node of each of the four categories.
The nodes are sorted into multiple tiers.
Tier 1 has basic technologies.
Tier 2 has moderately advanced technologies.
Tier 3 has highly advanced technologies.
To advance from one tier to another you must purchase the majority of a single tier from a category before you can advance to the next. For example, buying the majority of the tier 1 Industrial category will advance you to the tier 2 industrial category.
You can research all nodes from each category until you research a tier 3 research from one category. Researching the tier 3 node from a category will lock you to that category as your "Main Discipline". It is possible to acquire multiple R&D servers but the game will only allow one Main Discipline per R&D server. Tier three research that is not your Main Discipline may also be acquired through gambling with the Technology Disk Terminal.
There is another method to research a technology, and that is using the Technology Disk Terminal. If there is no such console available within the station, it can be created after researching the Tier 1 Experimental Technology, "Alternative Research".
By spending 1000 research points, a technology disk would be dispensed, containing the recipe of a single random item (of any tier) for the lathes to fabricate. The random item ranges from a HAMTR Harness within the "Critter Mechs" technology, a redundant item you've already researched, to the highly-sought-after (and expensive) satchel of holding.
When used early into the round, it may reward the research department with end-tier items immediately at the cost of the primary research progress. This is essentially gambling with research points, so ensure that your department agrees with this plan. When used late into the round, it may grant the research department recipes of technologies that have been locked out of the direct research method of unlocking the technology.
The Protolathe is a machine capable of printing most of what you've researched. It can make things such from large beakers to microreactor batteries. Protolathes are mainly found at science but can (sometimes) be found in engineering or on salvage expeditions.
The Exosuit Fabricator is a machine that is capable of crafting a large variety of Cyborg and Mech parts. The Exosuit Fabricator is a material hungry machine and can use gold, silver, steel, plastic, glass, and plasma. The Exosuit Fabricator is a vital part of Cyborg creation and many of the advanced pieces are stuck behind research.
Industrial
Item
Crafting Cost
Research
Tier
Research Cost
Ripley harness
15 steel+12 glass
Ripley APLU
1
7,500
Ripley left arm
10 steel+7.5 glass
Ripley right arm
Ripley left leg
Ripley right leg
Hydraulic clamp
5 steel+2 plastic
Mining cyborg module
5 steel+5 glass+2.5 plastic+0.5 gold
Salvage Equipment
1
7,500
Grappling gun cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic
GPS cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic
Space Scanning
2
7,500
Advanced tool cyborg module
5 steel+5 glass+2.5 plastic+0.5 gold
Advanced Tools
2
10,000
RCD cyborg module
Arsenal (None)
Experimental
Item
Crafting Cost
Research
Tier
Research Cost
Anomaly cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic
Basic Anomalous Research
1
5,000
Artifact cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic
Basic XenoArcheology
1
5,000
Proximity sensor
2.5 steel+3 glass
Basic Robotics
1
5,000
Civilian Services
Item
Crafting Cost
Research
Tier
Research Cost
Gardening cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic
Basic Hydroponics
1
5,000
Harvesting cyborg module
Light replacer cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic
Robotic Cleanliness
1
5,000
Advanced cleaning cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic+0.5 gold
Advanced Entertainment
1
7,500
Musique cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic
Clowning cyborg module
Advanced treatment cyborg module
2.5 steel+2.5 glass+2.5 plastic+0.5 gold
Mechanized Treatment
2
5,000
Defibrillator cyborg module
5 steel+5 glass+2.5 plastic+0.5 gold
H.O.N.K. harness
30 steel+12 glass+3.33 bananium
H.O.N.K. Mech
2
7,500
H.O.N.K. left arm
H.O.N.K. right arm
H.O.N.K. right armX
H.O.N.K. right leg
Mech horn
5 steel+1.33 bananium
Security Techfab
Set deep within the security department sits the Security Techfab. The Security Techfab can use steel, plastic, glass, silver, gold, uranium, and plasma. Providing the Security Techfab with materials will allow you to produces, ammo, grenades, guns, and laser weapons. Given some research this machine can turn your armory into an arsenal of the most dangerous weapons you can get a hold of.
Anchored into the back of medical sits the Medical Techfab. The Medical Techfab can use steel, plastic, glass, cloth, plasma, and silver. A small amount of highly valuable items are acquired through the Medical Techfab through research.
Industrial (None)
Arsenal
Item
Crafting Cost
Research
Tier
Research Cost
Chemical payload
2 steel+3 plastic
Explosive Technology
1
10,000
Experimental (None)
Civilian Services
Item
Crafting Cost
Research
Tier
Research Cost
Cryostasis beaker
2.5 steel+0.5 plastic
Biochemical Stasis
2
7,500
Cryostasis syringe
2 steel+0.5 plastic
Bluespace beaker
5 steel+5 plastic+1.5 plasma+0.5 silver
Bluespace Chemistry
3
10,000
Bluespace syringe
1 steel+1.5 plastic+2.5 glass+1 plasma+0.5 silver
Hyper Convection Machines
Hyper convection machine are a highly valuable upgrade that is obtained from the Industrial Engineering research node. Hyper convection machines will craft items at a 50% discount from the original cost. The trade-off when it comes to these powerful machines is that they produce an immense amount of heat. The heat that is produced from these machines can quickly become lethal if sufficient preparations are not made. One of the ways to make a safe enclosure for hyper convection machines is:
Un-wrench the machines and move the protolathe, autolathe, and circuit imprinter to the back wall. If there is a R&D computer, move it out of the way.
Build a 2x3 box of directional reinforced windows. At the middle-right side of the box create a windoor.
Create an air alarm and a air sensor. Place the air sensor within the box at the center right, and the air alarm nearby for convenience.
Create one (required) or two (optional) space heater(s) at the top-right and bottom-right of the box.4a. Set the space heaters to have High energy consumption and make sure that they are On.
Either hack the air alarm or ask an engineer to help you with networking. To hack the air alarm we must first use a screwdriver on it to open the panel. When the panel is open use a wirecutter tool on the air alarm itself. The lights above refer to the wires below. The wire that we are looking to cut is the ACC wire. The ACC wire is what controls who is authorized to network and control the Air Alarm.5a. Cut the wires from left to right (by clicking on them with a wirecutter in hand) until you get the ACC light to turn off. You may get unlucky like I did and hit a power wire before the ACC wire, you will get shocked because of this. Skip the power wire and continue until you reach the ACC wire. Once you have found the ACC wire repair all other wires (by clicking on them with a wirecutter in hand) and leave the ACC wire cut. Close the panel on the air alarm with the screwdriver.
Use a multitool or a network configurator and click on the air sensor first, followed by the air alarm.6a. Click Add on the air alarm GUI and then close the GUI.
In a similar process, use a multitool or a network configurator and click on the windoor first, followed by the air alarm. 7a. Click the Danger button and then click Close. Click on the Warning button and click Close. Finally, click the Normal button and then click Open. Then click the Done button.
Create the hyper convection circuit imprinter machine board at the Circuit Imprinter. Create or gather 1 matter bin and 1 igniter. Use a screwdriver to open the panel on the Circuit Imprinter.8a. Use a crowbar to deconstruct the imprinter into a machine frame.8b. Use a crowbar again to remove the parts from the machine frame.8c. Remove the Circuit Imprinter machine board from the stack of items. Click on the machine frame while holding the hyper convection Circuit Imprinter machine board. Shift click the machine frame and fill it with the rest of the materials that it requires. (You should have all the materials if the previous steps were followed).8d. Screwdriver the machine frame to finish the construction. (If this does not work you are missing materials).
Repeat step 8 through 8d with the Protolathe and Autolathe machines.
Congratulations! You have built a hyper convection machines and a safe setup! Good work fellow scientist!
Troubleshooting
"I can't get any points/I can't print anything"
The likely cause is that the Lathe/Imprinter/Computer isn't synced up with the RD server.
To fix this in the Lathe/Imprinter/Computer click Server list, click on ID x || RDSERVER and then exit the window.
P.A.C.M.A.N.-type portable generator machine board
S.U.P.E.R.P.A.C.M.A.N.-type portable generator machine board
Power monitoring computer board
Solar tracker electronics
Hyper convection circuit imprinter machine board
Flatpacker 1001 machine board
Grappling gun
Mining cyborg module
Grappling gun cyborg module
Industrial ore processor machine board
Welding gas mask
High-capacity power cell
Turbo recharger machine board
Ripley harness
Ripley left arm
Ripley right arm
Ripley left leg
Ripley right leg
Ripley central control module
Ripley peripherals control module
Hydraulic clamp
Holofan projector
Power drill
Jaws of life
Advanced tool cyborg module
RCD cyborg module
Shuttle console board
Handheld mass scanner
GPS cyborg module
Satchel of holding
Duffelbag of holding
Advanced remote signaller
Signal trigger
Voice trigger
Timer trigger
Flash payload
Explosive payload
Chemical payload-East-35511.png)
Shotgun incendiary cartridges dispenser
Magazine (.20 rifle incendiary)
Pistol magazine (.35 auto incendiary)
Magazine (.30 rifle incendiary)
Speed loader (.45 magnum incendiary)
Ammo drum (.50 incendiary)
Ammunition box (.35 auto incendiary)
Ammunition box (.45 magnum incendiary)
Ammunition box (.30 rifle incendiary)
Ammunition box (.20 rifle incendiary)
-East-33657.png){kind=small}
Magazine (.20 rifle uranium)
Pistol magazine (.35 auto uranium)
Magazine (.30 rifle uranium)
Speed loader (.45 magnum uranium)
Ammunition box (.35 auto uranium)
Ammunition box (.45 magnum uranium)
Ammunition box (.30 rifle uranium)
Ammunition box (.20 rifle uranium)
Shotgun uranium cartridges dispenser
-East-10078.png)
-East-35646.png){kind=small}
Ammo drum (.50 beanbags)
Tranquilizer cartridges dispenser
Shotgun beanbag cartridges dispenser
Disabler
Telescopic shield
Holobarrier projector
Disabler SMG
Small-capacity power cage
Medium-capacity power cage
Grenade cartridge
Flash grenade
Blast grenade
LSE-400c "Svalinn machine gun" machine board
EMP grenade
High-capacity power cage
Portable recharger
3 steel+
4 glass+
2 plastic+
0.5 gold bar
Grappling gun
Welding gas mask
2 plasma
Power drill
Jaws of life
10 steel+
Ore bag of holding
20 steel+
7.5 silver bar+
15 plasma+
Diamond tipped mining drill
1 refined diamond
Satchel of holding
Duffelbag of holding
Signal trigger
Voice trigger
Timer trigger
Flash payload
Chemical payload
Node scanner
G.O.R.I.L.L.A. gauntlet
Anomaly locator
Wide-spectrum anomaly locator
Magboots
Moon boots
Portable particle decelerator
Force field projector
C.H.I.M.P. handcannon
Quantum spin inverter
Tether gun
Force gun
Synthesizer
Advanced mop
Mega spray bottle
Spray nozzle
Backpack water tank
10 glass
Astro-grass
Astro-ice
Astro-snow
Cryostasis beaker
Cryostasis syringe
Speed boots
10 plastic+
Bluespace beaker
Bluespace syringe
Ripley central control module
Ripley peripherals control module
Power monitoring computer board
Industrial ore processor machine board
Turbo recharger machine board
Analysis computer board
News manager console board
0.67 bananium
Stasis bed machine board
gold, 
silver, 
plastic, 
glass, and 
plasma. The Exosuit Fabricator is a vital part of Cyborg creation and many of the advanced pieces are stuck behind research.
Ripley left arm
Ripley right arm
Ripley left leg
Ripley right leg
Hydraulic clamp
Mining cyborg module
Grappling gun cyborg module
GPS cyborg module
Advanced tool cyborg module
RCD cyborg module
Anomaly cyborg module
Artifact cyborg module
Proximity sensor
Gardening cyborg module
Harvesting cyborg module
Light replacer cyborg module
Advanced cleaning cyborg module
Musique cyborg module
Clowning cyborg module
Advanced treatment cyborg module
Defibrillator cyborg module
Mech horn
-East-33834.png){kind=small}
Pistol magazine (.35 auto uranium)
-East-34039.png){kind=small}
Magazine (.30 rifle uranium)
-East-34222.png){kind=small}
Speed loader (.45 magnum uranium)
-East-34353.png){kind=small}
Ammunition box (.35 auto uranium)
-East-34461.png){kind=small}
Ammunition box (.45 magnum uranium)
-East-34584.png){kind=small}
Ammunition box (.30 rifle uranium)
-East-34667.png){kind=small}
Ammunition box (.20 rifle uranium)
Shotgun uranium cartridges dispenser
Telescopic shield
Holobarrier projector
Disabler SMG
-East-35478.png){kind=small}
Magazine (.20 rifle incendiary)
-East-35490.png){kind=small}
Pistol magazine (.35 auto incendiary)
-East-35498.png){kind=small}
Magazine (.30 rifle incendiary)
-East-35504.png){kind=small}
Speed loader (.45 magnum incendiary)
-East-35519.png){kind=small}
Ammunition box (.45 magnum incendiary)
-East-35527.png){kind=small}
Ammunition box (.30 rifle incendiary)
-East-35533.png){kind=small}
Ammunition box (.20 rifle incendiary)
-East-35550.png){kind=small}
Ammo drum (.50 incendiary)
5 cloth
Tranquilizer cartridges dispenser
Shotgun beanbag cartridges dispenser
Disabler
Small-capacity power cage
Medium-capacity power cage
Grenade cartridge
Flash grenade
Blast grenade
LSE-400c "Svalinn machine gun" machine board
High-capacity power cage
Portable recharger
20 uranium+
protolathe, 
autolathe, and 
circuit imprinter to the back wall. If there is a 
R&D computer, move it out of the way.
directional reinforced windows. At the middle-right side of the box create a 
windoor.
air alarm and a 
air sensor. Place the air sensor within the box at the center right, and the air alarm nearby for convenience.
space heater(s) at the top-right and bottom-right of the box.
screwdriver on it to open the panel. When the panel is open use a 
wirecutter tool on the air alarm itself. The lights above refer to the wires below. The wire that we are looking to cut is the ACC wire. The ACC wire is what controls who is authorized to network and control the Air Alarm.
multitool or a 
network configurator and click on the air sensor first, followed by the air alarm.
hyper convection circuit imprinter machine board at the Circuit Imprinter. Create or gather 1 matter bin and 1 igniter. Use a screwdriver to open the panel on the Circuit Imprinter.
