Aperture Science Panel

"Gentlemen, I give you Panels - the planks of tomorrow! Fully configurable - infinitely variable! Safe! Aperture-brand Panels will assist your Test Subjects every step of the way!"

- Cave Johnson

The Aperture Science Panel is a structure and testing element used in almost all Test Chambers of the Aperture Science Enrichment Center in Portal 2, and often functions as the successor to the Victory Lift introduced in Portal.

Panels form the structure of most test chambers, and are often instrumental in reaching certain areas. They may or may not be required to be activated with Thermal Discouragement Beam catchers, Super Buttons, ordinary buttons or other testing elements.

Overview

 * Forming the core structure of the Test Chambers, Panels are reconfigurable boards, which may or may not accept portals fired by the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. They are operated from the rear by robotic arms, and a green or red light around the edge of the Panel indicates its operational status, as these lights are illuminated blue when GLaDOS reactivated some panels in Portal 2.
 * The walls of GLaDOS's chamber in Portal 2 are formed entirely out of Panels, which GLaDOS can reconfigure as she sees fit. They allow access to the Stalemate Resolution Annex. Eventually, once Wheatley takes over the Central Core body, he modifies the chamber into something he desires as well.
 * The panels were first used to form test chambers throughout Portal. However, it has been retconned to include robotic arms commonly dubbed as a "Panel arm". These arms are deployed by pistons, which were originally the "panel arm" equivalent of the ones in Portal.
 * The Crusher is a thicker variety of a panel developed by Wheatley. It lacks lights and is fitted with spikes that destroy anything on impact.
 * Under high forces, the panel arms have been known to fall off in large numbers, such as when Wheatley crashed a Test Chamber full of Defective Turrets into another test chamber.
 * Some panel arms appear to be self-aware as they appear to be curious when Chell falls into GLaDOS's trap in the chapter The Escape and The Part Where He Kills You during the ending monologue with GLaDOS. The panels can also drag itself, as if it were trying to walk.
 * Although never directly proven, it may appear that some offices in the Enrichment Center use the panels, as there is evidence of typical panel holding grids above certain roof-less offices.

Structure and design

 * The panel arms are deployed by pistons, once the layouts of a test chamber has been laid out, the pistons will be pulled away after the layout / construction phase.
 * After a test chamber is fully constructed, the panel arms are free to maneuver around a test chamber's exterior walls on their grids. The arms can rearrange a test chamber at any given time.

Behind the scenes

 * The panels were formally introduced for the first time in the first of four informational videos leading to Portal 2's release,, and narrated by Cave Johnson.
 * Although the panels never existed in the first Portal, it is proven to be yet another retcon, as the panel arms are seen scattered around attempting to arrange themselves in a ruined Test Chamber 19. It is also possible that test chamber walls, floors and ceilings in Portal are the panels, because they are seen moving (however, only slowly in one direction) and have light on them.

List of appearances

 * Portal
 * Portal 2
 * The Final Hours of Portal 2