Gallery: Salvaged! Your Favorite Sci-Fi Robots (Plus One Supercomputer)
01hal-9000-2001-a-space-odyssey
Open the pod bay doors, robot nerds. Your choices for best 'bots ever are ready to dock. For the 90th anniversary of [Karel Capek's play R.U.R.](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/thisdayintech/2011/01/0125robot-cometh-capek-rur-debut), which popularized the term *robot* for mass assimilation, Wired.com unspooled a list of the [best robot overlords ever](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2011/01/best-robots/). We left off a few highly popular artificial life forms, and some short-circuited readers went haywire. At the center of the malfunction was a technical confusion over [what defines a robot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot), a philosophical conundrum that started before Capek's play and continues to this day. (If you think the definition is technically restricted to human-like robots, we'd like you to meet [Darpa's EATR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energetically_Autonomous_Tactical_Robot), a foraging devourer of plant biomass that some puny humans worry might [feed on battlefield flesh](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2009/07/eatr-update-researchers-claim-hungry-robots-wont-eat-people/).) So we decided to bow to our readers' iron will and let [2001: A Space Odyssey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film))'s sentient computer, Hal 9000, into the mechanical mix. Click through our preview gallery of other readers' choice robots above and let us know in the comments section below if we passed the [Turing test](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test). __Above:__ HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey ------------------------------- I'm sorry Dave. You forgot to mention [HAL 9000](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_9000). Shall I sing a song for you? *—Shelton Research Grp* HAL isn't technically a robot, he's a pissed-off, excessively anal AI. Still, I would like that song. *—RP Bird* Not that I care ... but HAL is a robot.... He's the ship! Same with [KITT](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KITT) of Knight Rider. *—therantguy*
02gort-the-day-the-earth-stood-still
Gort, The Day the Earth Stood Still ----------------------------------- Klaatu would be pissed. No [Gort](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gort_(The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still))? *—bh12* Seconded. Gort from [The Day the Earth Stood Still](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still_(1951_film)). *—rphunt* Oh no you *didn't*!!! What happened to Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still??!!! *The* greatest robot ever! *—Jerry Ballard*
03johnny-5-short-circuit
Johnny 5, Short Circuit ----------------------- What about [Johnny 5](http://www.johnny-five.com/) from *Short Circuit*!? *—Chet Rosales* Where is Johnny 5? Re-assemble ... *—Jeff* I agree, where is mah Johnny 5? Escaped robot fights for his life. Film at 11. *—survient* No Johnny 5? No Twiki? What about Metal Mickey???? Edit: just realized that people in the US may need to Google [Metal Mickey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Mickey) :) *— Pete Clarke*
04vision-the-avengers
Vision, The Avengers -------------------- If you are going comics, where is the [Vision](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_(Marvel_Comics))? I would think he would be more well-known than Doom Patrol's [Robotman](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2011/01/best-robots/?pid=2571), but that's just me. Even [Ultron](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultron). *—Wirehedd*
05gir-invader-zim
GIR, Invader Zim ---------------- Not surprised to see \[GIR\] omitted, as [Invader Zim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_zim) had a relatively short life. But you need to have him for sheer comedic value. *—ElyasM*
06hk-47-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic
HK-47, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic --------------------------------------------- And what of [HK-47](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/HK-47), the wonderfully verbose assassin droid from the [Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic) games? "Can I kill him now, master? I'd like ever so much to crush his neck. Just a little. It is a longtime fantasy of mine." *—RP Bird*
07h8-magnus-robot-fighter
H8, Magnus, Robot Fighter ------------------------- Another murderous robot you failed to mention, H8 from [Magnus, Robot Fighter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus,_Robot_Fighter). "'H8.' When you say it fast, it comes out 'Hate.'" *—RP Bird*
08alice-star-trek
Alice, Star Trek ---------------- From the original Star Trek, all of the androids from "[I, Mudd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Mudd)." But especially Alice342. *—Joe*
09tin-man-the-wizard-of-oz
Tin Man, The Wizard of Oz ------------------------- How can you seriously overlook the [Tin Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_Woodman) from *The Wizard of Oz*? I'd definitely choose Data as a companion, though, if I had to go out there. *—herecomesbrod*
10r-daneel-olivaw-isaac-asimovs-robotfoundation-series
R. Daneel Olivaw, Isaac Asimov's Robot/Foundation Series -------------------------------------------------------- Regardless of him ever being on a television show or movie, how is [R. Daneel Olivaw](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Daneel_Olivaw) not on here? *—Nathan Gray* R. Daneel is one of my heroes. *—christopher*
11variousi-robot
Various, I, Robot ----------------- How about Sonny from [I, Robot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Robot_%28film%29)? *—bh12* Where are the robots from I, Robot? There were a lot of them, right? *—Wirehedd*
12walter-the-wobot-judge-dredd
Walter the Wobot, Judge Dredd ----------------------------- And [Walter the Wobot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_the_Wobot) gets ignored again. He reminds me of [Kripke](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Kripke) for some reason. *—therantguy*
13glados-portal
GLaDOS, Portal -------------- If you're going to go with videogames, can't forget [GLaDOS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLaDOS)! Classic stuff! *—sutekh137* I am also deeply fond of GLaDOS, my favorite passive-aggressive personality ever. But technically, she is like HAL, she's an AI, not a robot. The cake is a lie! Or is it? *—RP Bird* I dunno, she most definitely has a robot body at the end of [Portal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_(video_game)). Really, she's just a robot with a building-sized body. *—Joey*
14hedonismbot-futurama
Hedonismbot, Futurama --------------------- What? No [Hedonismbot](http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/Hedonismbot)? *—Magnus Dreyer*
