Aperture Science Multitasking Arm

The Aperture Science Multitasking Arm, Robotic arm or Panel arm is a mobile robotic arm introduced in Portal 2 and is heavily utilized throughout the Aperture Science Enrichment Center.

Throughout the Enrichment Center, these Multitasking Arms would carry out a wide range of usage. The arms are commonly known to be configuring the Aperture Science Panels.

Overview
The Multitasking Arms are a retconned structural element introduced in Portal 2, ultimately replacing the thick steel pistons that had originally welded the panels in Portal.

The arms are proven to have been used for different tasks throughout the Enrichment Center when Chell finds Wheatley; one of the many Personality Cores to have been traveling on their ceiling-constricted Management Rails - attached to the Multitasking Arm. The arms would weld Cores to its magnetic receiving end until the Core eventually chooses a proper location to be detached from the arm. Strangely, the arm had only been used in this manner once, despite the fact that Wheatley did not need it to continue traveling on his Management Rail later on in the single-player campaign.

In the Turret Manufacturing department, one of GLaDOS' cameras were attached to a Multitasking Arm. This ceiling-constricted mobile camera was used in scanning the quality of a Sentry Turret when compared to a template Turret. This method of holding cameras was then reused at the beginning of the cooperative campaign, in the Calibration Course. However in co-op, it utilizes the Portal 2 version of the security cameras instead, unlike the Turret Manufacturing camera which uses the Portal equivalent.

The arms are of further importance in the role of Central Core Transfer procedures, and are located beneath the Central AI Chamber. Under protocols, GLaDOS must prepare a Core Transfer hatch beneath her design of the chamber. This hatch was later used by Wheatley with the help of Chell to overthrow GLaDOS from her control over the Enrichment Center. Here, the arms are present in a much larger and partially painted in red, as these arms perform a painful procedure painful procedure on GLaDOS in order for her to be completely detached from the Central AI body. Then, the arms rig Wheatley into an input port on the Central AI body, where he is given the rank of managing the Enrichment Center.

In some cases, a Multitasking Arm would be presented with hints on its sentience. In one of the Testing Tracks managed by GLaDOS, an arm was seen to have repeatedly rotated a Weighted Storage Cube above a panel, almost displaying a sign of teasing if not impatience. Later when Chell falls into a booby trap by GLaDOS near the Central AI Chamber, the panels surrounding the area are lifted up for the arms to peek at her. This repeats when Wheatley takes over the Central AI body as the arms stare into the elevator carrying Chell, and shortly in the ending monologue as GLaDOS has finally come into touch with her humanity. The arms are then lowered and put into positions once GLaDOS claims to have deleted Caroline from her programming.

List of appearances

 * Portal 2
 * The Final Hours of Portal 2