How did 17 misread 16's power?

[Angelus]

17 thought that he was more powerful than 18 and 16. He scanned 16 and even said so. But 16 is more powerful.

Was this a simple glitch in 17's scanner? Because these Androids are always at full power and have infinite power. If a 100 Gokus attacked 17, one by one, 17 wouldn't tire even if he's fighting the 90th Goku. The 91st Goku would still be fighting a full power 17.

So what gives?

[DarkPrince_92]

I don't think him or 18 can sense power like 16 can. 17 didn't sense that Piccolo was different the second time they fought. 18 asked Vegeta if Goku was any stronger than him. 17, well Piccolo too, didn't feel Cell coming full speed to the island they fought on.

Future Androids 17 and 18 are the same. Trunks returned and killed them both, and they were shocked how much he improved.

19 and 20 might have been the same way. When Vegeta went Super Saiyan, 19 completely underestimated Vegeta despite his power up right in front of him.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

Androids #17 and #18 seem to go off of data to measure someone's power. That's why #17 said Gero's data on Vegeta was outdated when he was fighting #18.

I think #17's data on #16 was just inaccurate.

[Angelus]

Oh so they use data, not something similar to scouters?

That would mean that Gero's data on Vegeta would be the one before the Namek Saga.

So this could simply mean that possibly, when Gero was putting in 16's data in 17 and 18, it was the "former" power of 16, who probably was not completed yet during the time of input? And then Gero just didn't bother to update 17 and 18's data about 16? For example, if when 16 was almost complete, his power level was 100 but after 16 was complete, it was 150. Gero just didn't update that data about 16 on 17 and 18's database, so 16 still is 100 according to 17 and 18's unupdated database?

Did Gero made 16 before 17 and 18?

But wait, 17 and 18 didn't even know that there was a 16.

[Jackal puFF]

I just think 17's scanner wasn't that great at scanning.. If he even has a scanner.. Which I don't think he does. He was just going with what he knew and assumed I'm guessing. I mean If you're 17 and then you see 16, you would think you're stronger just by that alone. +1 you know haha.

[DarkPrince_92]

I don't think 17 and 18 scan... period. 16 is built as a machine from the ground up, which is why I feel like it was easier to implement a power reader/scanner/scouter for him. 17 and 18 are from human bases, and so was Gero himself. He couldn't really detect power, but use the data he had programmed. He saw that Goku transformed into a SSJ, but still couldn't see the gap in power between him and 19 after doing so.

EDIT (PLEASE READ): Remember during Piccolo's first encounter with Cell, the Androids pulled over because they felt a shock. They couldn't tell what caused it, so they asked 16. 16 said it's two powers rivaling the twins. Bam. They can't detect power. Problem solved.

Almost forgot about that.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

That would mean that Gero's data on Vegeta would be the one before the Namek Saga.

Yeah. Gero tells Goku and the others that he made calculations on how strong they'd likely become over the yrs. I think he just took whatever level they were at during the Saiyan saga and made a guess on where they'd be at with yrs of training.

So this could simply mean that possibly, when Gero was putting in 16's data in 17 and 18, it was the "former" power of 16, who probably was not completed yet during the time of input? And then Gero just didn't bother to update 17 and 18's data about 16? For example, if when 16 was almost complete, his power level was 100 but after 16 was complete, it was 150. Gero just didn't update that data about 16 on 17 and 18's database, so 16 still is 100 according to 17 and 18's unupdated database?

That's very possible. Gero was probably working on #16 off and on, so it's very likely he didn't take the time update the Androids data. He probably didn't know what he wanted to do with #16's power at that point.

Did Gero made 16 before 17 and 18?

Yes, he made #16 before those two. He just left #16 alone because he thought he was a failure. He did say he was planning to fix him someday, though.

But wait, 17 and 18 didn't even know that there was a 16.

I'm guessing Gero just didn't bother to talk to them about #16. Before #18 awakened #16, she mentions that Gero kept #16 around for a good while considering he destroyed every other Android that was a failure up to #15.

[ThePrinceOfSaiyans]

17 and 18 cannot seem to sense energy.

17 did not know 16 was stronger.

17 did not know Piccolo had changed (Neither did 18 until 16 told her)

and 16 told 18 that Vegeta has changed and she only realised the difference when she noticed he was "transforming"

So yeah, I think just like 19 and 20, that 17 and 18, rely on data stored in their memory.

[Galan007]

As others have said: #17 and #18 didn't have power readers. #16 did. The twins simply believed they were more powerful than any other opponent because according to Gero's [outdated] data, they were. They had no way of truly confirming this, however.

Proof:
http://i.imgur.com/u39cFaH.gif
http://i.imgur.com/Roip1FE.gif
http://i.imgur.com/9EKZFIk.gif

[ThePrinceOfSaiyans]

It makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't.

It is clear that 17, 18, 19 and 20 could not sense energy and were going by data stored inside them.

Although, why was 16, a much older model, the one with the better capability of finding out peoples current energy level?

Gero being one of these androids and the creator of these androids, would have gave himself a better upgrade than he did (I would have thought)

For example... He chose the power absorbing model instead of 17 and 18's limitless energy, and he chose to have data stored inside him instead of sense it like 16...

So it's a bit beyond me why all the later model's couldn't sense energy.... I think it's just to add a bit of suspense and shock factor to the audience and also he characters within the show...

The show likes to do the "You're nothing compared to me" then have that same person in fear and awe moments later.

[Diotor]

Although, why was 16, a much older model, the one with the better capability of finding out peoples current energy level?

Going to simply guess that it would be easier to build a power scanner into a fully robotic humanoid than integrate it into a previously human body.

Or that Gero believe #16 may not be powerful enough to beat the Z fighters and would have to hide at times whereas he had confidence in #17 & #18's power, but not his ability to control them.

[Hitiro]

It makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't.

It is clear that 17, 18, 19 and 20 could not sense energy and were going by data stored inside them.

Although, why was 16, a much older model, the one with the better capability of finding out peoples current energy level?

Gero being one of these androids and the creator of these androids, would have gave himself a better upgrade than he did (I would have thought)

For example... He chose the power absorbing model instead of 17 and 18's limitless energy, and he chose to have data stored inside him instead of sense it like 16...

So it's a bit beyond me why all the later model's couldn't sense energy.... I think it's just to add a bit of suspense and shock factor to the audience and also he characters within the show...

The show likes to do the "You're nothing compared to me" then have that same person in fear and awe moments later.

I would postulate that at some point after Gero realised he couldn't control #17 and #18 he opted to modify an older model, #16 in this case, to replace their role in killing Goku. And I am unsure about #19 and #20 being able to sense. #20 gives a comment that seems to suggest he noticed a power increase when Goku use the SSJ transformation.

Chapter 340 (DBZ 146), P13.4-5, P14.1
No.20: “I see…You seem to have achieved a truly considerable power-up. It’s a strange technique…This greatly surpasses our calculated figures…”
No.20: “However, this isn’t anything great enough to give us reason to fear. It’s still within a level which even No.19 is more than capable of defeating, and naturally that goes for myself as well…”

But maybe not? Also, after Gero made himself into a Android he may have continued to work on #16 as a replacement for #17 and #18. We do know that he tried making modifications after to the twins after he realised they were uncontrollable. Possibly after he made himself into an android. So maybe he made additions to #16 even after he made modifications to #17 and #18.

[Kaboom]

I figure that 17 and 18 just don't have much data on prior Android models. They didn't seem to know much about 16 beyond that maybe he was an infinite-energy type like them.

[freezamite]

#17 didn't have data about #16, he was confident about being the strongest (he was stronger than #18) android out there and #16 wasn't willing to proof him wrong.