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The 50 Greatest Robots

The holiday season brings out list after list. This is one of my favorites: the most influential robots of all time.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

By Brad King

Isaac Asimov was the first author I remember loving. I devoured his books, from the sprawling Foundation trilogy (which turned into six books) to the I, Robot series and all the way down to his two science fiction magazines.

There wasn't a defining moment when I realized that I had a thing for robots and science fiction -- but as I look back, Asimov is probably a big reason. (So much so that I wrote a series of 'short' stories in high school, sprawling 40-page stories that crossed Piers Anthony and Asimov together to create an unintelligible world -- that had robots who revolted against their human masters.)

I tell you all of this so that I can get to the larger point: robots are cool -- and the folks over at ImpactLab.com have put together a list of the 50 most influential robots.

Of course, there is one robot that was left off the list: Maximillian, the giant, red robot that battled the V.I.N.C.E.N.T. in Disney's 1979 classic, The Black Hole.

Comments

	The 50 Greatest Robots Guest (anonymous) on 12/27/2005 at 4:33 PM
Posts: 1	Good grief and criminy! I cant believe they have left &quotGreat Garloo&quot off the list! Rate this comment: (Reply)

	Asimovs robots Guest (Wade Roush) on 12/28/2005 at 12:43 PM
Posts: 1	How could the makers of this list leave out Daneel Olivaw -- the telepathic robot who saves humanity and ties together all of the Robot and Foundation books? Rate this comment: (Reply)

	Asimovs robots Guest (Brad King) on 12/28/2005 at 1:13 PM
Posts: 1	I dont think they were very well steeped in nerd fiction, frankly. And, as I told our copy editor yesterday, HAL wasnt even a robot -- it was, at best, artificial intelligence -- which is completely different. Rate this comment: (Reply)

	Asimovs robots Guest (Brad King) on 12/28/2005 at 1:13 PM
Posts: 1	I dont think they were very well steeped in nerd fiction, frankly. And, as I told our copy editor yesterday, HAL wasnt even a robot -- it was, at best, artificial intelligence -- which is completely different. Rate this comment: (Reply)

robots
Guest (asimovs) on 12/28/2005 at 3:20 PM

Posts:
1
how is asimo and what is he doing hav e you put him to work yet.
Rate this comment:

(Reply)

	what is asimos doing is he working? Guest (james) on 12/28/2005 at 3:24 PM
Posts: 1	when do we get to see asimov at work or in action. Rate this comment: (Reply)

	Asimov died in 1992 Guest (Dan) on 12/30/2005 at 11:32 AM
Posts: 1	After writing more than 500 books. He has an excellent and comprehensive home page at http://www.asimovonline.com/ Rate this comment: (Reply)

	Asimov died in 1992 Guest (Dan) on 12/30/2005 at 11:32 AM
Posts: 1	After writing more than 500 books. He has an excellent and comprehensive home page at http://www.asimovonline.com/ Rate this comment: (Reply)

	some pondering.. Guest (Good Idea Guy) on 01/01/2006 at 10:12 PM
Posts: 1	how about some towers that filter the air?around the world? heavily guarded.Can ya get rid of them forest fires yet..?I gotta few. how about hurricanes, even tornados i like thinkn about that one.Hey how about them ice caps, here, pillars that bob 3001000ft deep in the water and freeze the water around it, disconnect the pillars when it at size) seriously why not? I feel I got the goods, ElDeMango@aol.com ill be the guy stuck. Rate this comment: (Reply)

	The 50 Greatest Robots Guest (anonymous) on 12/27/2005 at 4:33 PM
Posts: 1	Good grief and criminy! I cant believe they have left &quotGreat Garloo&quot off the list! Rate this comment: (Reply)

	Asimovs robots Guest (Wade Roush) on 12/28/2005 at 12:43 PM
Posts: 1	How could the makers of this list leave out Daneel Olivaw -- the telepathic robot who saves humanity and ties together all of the Robot and Foundation books? Rate this comment: (Reply)

robots
Guest (asimovs) on 12/28/2005 at 3:20 PM

Posts:
1
how is asimo and what is he doing hav e you put him to work yet.
Rate this comment:

(Reply)
what is asimos doing is he working?
Guest (james) on 12/28/2005 at 3:24 PM

Posts:
1
when do we get to see asimov at work or in action.
Rate this comment:

(Reply)

	some pondering.. Guest (Good Idea Guy) on 01/01/2006 at 10:12 PM
Posts: 1	how about some towers that filter the air?around the world? heavily guarded.Can ya get rid of them forest fires yet..?I gotta few. how about hurricanes, even tornados i like thinkn about that one.Hey how about them ice caps, here, pillars that bob 3001000ft deep in the water and freeze the water around it, disconnect the pillars when it at size) seriously why not? I feel I got the goods, ElDeMango@aol.com ill be the guy stuck. Rate this comment: (Reply)