Boomers, also known as "voomers" or "
bumas", are semi-humanoid
robots in the
Bubblegum Crisis anime continuity. Available in several models for such diverse purposes as
clerical work,
construction, and
combat, boomers are one of the major products of the
GENOM Corporation, and one of the major
exports of
Japan.
The most well-known classes of boomer are the labor models. First released by GENOM after the Great Kanto Earthquake to aid in reconstruction, these blocky, versatile robots can fill any job on a construction site. They can also be fitted with cleaning arms to serve as janitors. It was the construction models' usefulness in rebuilding Tokyo that led to the name "boomer" -- from the economic "boom" they were supposed to create. "Boomers: Assemblers of Prosperity," as the marketing folks put it.
Boomers with a more humanoid body model -- "mannequins" -- are commonly placed in clerical or service roles. Many of these boomers are constructed along feminine lines, and serve in jobs such as clerking or waitressing. In some cases, clerical boomers may even act as straw boss supervisors to human workers.
Less commonly seen in the city, but essential to GENOM's bottom line, are military boomers. Combat-oriented boomers come in all sizes, from the human-sized Bu-12B and -55C to hulking giants. The production of combat boomers has been restricted by law ... but the Polar War is lucrative.
A few classes of boomer, most notably the Bu-55C covert combat model and the Bu-55S "sexaroid", can be disguised as humans. Indeed, the -55S is designed to emulate a human, usually a young woman. (GENOM is in a lot of markets.) There may be even more advanced models of humanoid boomer, but their production has been banned. GENOM, being a law-abiding corporation, would not consider continuing to develop them.
The processes necessary to create a functional humanoid robot were perfected by Dr. Katsuhito Stingray of Wiz Labs, prior to the Great Kanto Earthquake. Boomers are biomechanical in nature, and capable of reconfiguration at a very basic level. Stingray may not have foreseen one of the consequences of his design. According to unconfirmed rumor vigorously denied by GENOM, a boomer may go insane -- an event which can radically alter the robot's body as well as its mind.
Note for purists: Yes, this is a
synthesis of boomer details from the original
OVA series and the
Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 series. At least it isn't
Crash.