The Avatar Program is a genetically engineered, synthetic hybrid creature that is remotely controlled through a link to its operator's brain. The resulting creature looks like a Na'vi, and can walk and move as freely as one of the indigenous race of humans on the planet of Pandora.
The link is made through a device known as a link unit, which creates a psionic connection between the human operator and the avatar. The link allows real-time control of the avatar's motor and sensory functions, but it also requires sleep, rest, food and water for continuous operation. Continual use of the link results in atonia, disconnecting the operator's natural body from the movements being played out by their avatar. The link can be maintained for several hours or days, depending on the operator's experience level and the avatar's ability to remain stable.
Upon disconnection, either through Avatarslot88 an emergency fail-safe or the operator's conscious command, the avatar reverts to a static sleep state. The operator regains consciousness in their own physical body, often suffering shock or disorientation from the sudden transition. The avatar may also suffer damage from external sources such as catastrophic injury, and can be permanently destroyed by a catastrophic malfunction or a direct attack.
The Avatar Program was originally created by the Resources Development Administration (RDA), a company that handles space exploration and resources plundering. Some members of the RDA, such as Dr. Grace Augustine and Norm Spellman, see the avatars as a means to broker peace with the indigenous Na'vi, while others such as Colonel Miles Quaritch view the Na'vi only as a source of unobtanium.