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A robot — also called an automaton by at least the Tenth Doctor (PROSE: The Last Dodo) — was a mechanical device with the ability to do work without the help of a living organism. One type of robot was an android (a humanoid robot, such as Kamelion, who could also shape-shift). (TV: The King's Demons) Robots also came in other forms, such as dog-like (e.g. K9). (TV: The Invisible Enemy)
On many planets, robots were used as a servile labour force. One known use was law enforcement on Earth in 2050. (TV: Regeneration, Mutant Copper) Their appearance sometimes generated strong emotions in people, a condition known as Robophobia or Grimwade's Syndrome. (TV: The Robots of Death)
They were powered in many different ways, such as by black light. (TV: Four to Doomsday)
Although robots were programmed with several hundred safety protocols inhibiting violence, a skilled mechanic, such as Taren Capel, could bypass these, allowing the robot to wreak havoc. (TV: The Robots of Death)
Although robots were mainly used for manual labour, they were occasionally used for military purposes by a wide variety of species. (PROSE: The Dust of Ages, AUDIO: Davros, TV: The Parting of the Ways, Dreamland, The Beast Below, The Vault of Secrets, The Caretaker) The most perfected of these killing machines was the Raston Warrior Robot which had highly attuned motion sensors and built in armaments. (TV: The Five Doctors) The Fourth Doctor maintained that they were "programmed to help people, not hurt them", but accepted such protocols could be overridden. (TV: The Robots of Death)
The Tenth Doctor claimed to hate robots, specifically "funny robots". He clarified that it was not the fault of robots themselves, but of people "dressing them up and giving them silly voices. Like you're reducing them." He did concede, however, that robot dogs were "different". Soon after, he turned his view around, claiming to "love a funny robot". (TV: The Waters of Mars) He observed that the "trouble with robots" was that one could never be sure they had shut them down: "Twist a few wires together and they're anybody's." (TV: Dreamland)
Etymology
According to the Eleventh Doctor, the word was Czech. It was invented in 1920 by Karel Capek. It literally meant "forced labour". (COMIC: The Broken Man) According to the Second Doctor, "robot" was derived from the Czech word for "worker". (PROSE: Fallen Angel)
History
Robots existed throughout the universe in many times, for many purposes. On Earth, humans used robots for work, and also for assistance and company. (TV: The Robots of Death) They were used in similar ways by the people of Sto; aboard the Starship Titanic, robots were dressed as Christmas angels and used for information. (TV: Voyage of the Damned)
Jack Harkness and the Ninth Doctor seperately characterised the nanogenes as "sub-atomic robots". (TV: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)
By the year 2059, humans were allowed domestic robots. They were also allowed to customise them. Roman Groom claimed that a friend had made her domestic robot look like a dog. Roman himself adapted a robot called Gadget out of the giant worker drones that built Bowie Base One. (TV: The Waters of Mars)
In the 51st century, Professor Frederick Marius missed his dog, so he built a computer in the form of a dog, called K9. (TV: The Invisible Enemy) K9 travelled with the Fourth Doctor and Leela, then left the Doctor to stay with Leela on Gallifrey. (TV: The Invasion of Time) K9 later regenerated into K9 Mark 2, using a regeneration unit. (TV: Regeneration)
The Doctor later built K9 Mark II and travelled with him until the robot left with Romana II. (TV: Warriors' Gate)
K9 Mark III was also built by the Doctor and given to Sarah Jane Smith. (TV: A Girl's Best Friend) Sarah Jane kept the robot dog throughout the 80s, 90s and up until 2007, when he sacrificed himself to stop the Krillitanes. The Doctor built K9 Mark IV soon after for Sarah Jane. (TV: School Reunion) K9 Mark IV helped Sarah Jane seal a black hole. (TV: The Mad Woman in the Attic) He helped restore the Earth to its original time-space location. (TV: Journey's End)
Robots were used by organics and cyborgs throughout the history of the universe. On 20th century Earth, a highly advanced robot was used by the National Institute for Advanced Scientific Research in an attempt to conquer the world. (TV: Robot)
The Heavenly Host were ordered by Max Capricorn to kill those aboard the starship Titanic. (TV: Voyage of the Damned)
Robots were used on Terminus to sterilise the spacecraft that brought those infected with Lazar's Disease. (TV: Terminus)
Cyborgs such as the Cybermen also used robots. (TV: Earthshock)
Smilers were robots aboard the Starship UK that taught children and also enforced the law on the ship. (TV: The Beast Below)
In the 42nd century, robot drills were used by Sanctuary Base 6. (TV: The Impossible Planet)
In the 51st century, Clockwork Droids served under humans aboard sister ships SS Madame de Pompadour and SS Marie Antoinette. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace, Deep Breath)
Human and Hath colonists used robot drones to construct a city on Messaline by 6012. (TV: The Doctor's Daughter)
In 200,000, Cathica Santini Khadeni acknowledged the presence of humanoid robots in the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. (TV: The Long Game) Several androids were used aboard the Bad Wolf Corporation's Game Station in 200,100. (TV: Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways)
Lady Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17 made use of metal spiders just prior to Earth Death in 5,000,000,000 and on New Earth in 5,000,000,023. (TV: The End of the World, New Earth)
Other references
During the Dalek-Movellan War, the Fourth Doctor and Davros described the cybernetic Daleks as robots like their enemies, the humanoid Movellans. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks) Indeed, the Daleks could be taken for robots at first glance, as Sarah Jane Smith did. The Third Doctor, however, clarified that they were only "half robot", revealing that "inside each of those shells is a living, bubbling lump of hate. (TV: Death to the Daleks) In 2012, a commander ignorantly described a lone Dalek, named "Metaltron" by Henry van Statten, as a "tin robot". (TV: Dalek) Daleks posing as British Army Ironsides were presented by Edwin Bracewell as robots. (TV: Victory of the Daleks)
Being cyborgs, the Cybermen were seperately characterised by Cutler and the Eleventh Doctor as "part man, part robot". (TV: The Tenth Planet, The Pandorica Opens) As Polly Wright noted, the Cybermen outwardly resembled robots. (TV: The Moonbase) As such, the Cybermen were commonly mistaken for robots at first glance. Those who did so included Polly herself initially, (TV: The Tenth Planet) Berger, Nyssa, Scott, (TV: Earthshock) and Rose Tyler in Pete's World. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen) As observed by Mickey Smith, a Cyber-suit without organic components was essentially a robot. (TV: The Age of Steel)
Sarah Jane Smith noted to Rose Tyler that she met "lots of robots" during her travels with the Doctor. (TV: School Reunion)
Emotions and awareness
Several forms of robots seemed to have thoughts and feelings of their own. K9 Mark I showed signs of "sulking", (TV: The Invasion of Time) and the later models did similar things. The K1 Robot showed signs of self awareness and a desire to spare Sarah-Jane's life. (TV: Robot)
An intelligent and emotional robot invented by Professor Carl Readon went berserk and attacked a city because the professor banished an assistant's dog from the laboratory. The robot was placated once the Third Doctor realised that it missed the dog and reunited the two. (COMIC: Doctor Who and the Robot)
An L3 series robot like Drathro could show no understanding of the meaning of organic life and conceived itself as a superior being. In a dilemma about saving a human community or not, with both possibilities implying its own "death", it chose to let the humans die. (TV: The Mysterious Planet)
Creators of robots
A society of self-replicating robots develop on Zazz's moon. (COMIC: The Gift)
For every robot, there was a creator, or creators, whether it was humans creating robots, or robots creating other robots. Frederick Marius for example invented K9 Mark I, (TV: The Invisible Enemy) and the Doctor built K9 Mark II (TV: The Invasion of Time) and IV. (TV: School Reunion) The K1 Robot was built by Professor Kettlewell. (TV: Robot)
Morvin Van Hoff and his wife Foon Van Hoff were able to fix robots. They displayed these skills by reactivating a Heavenly Host. Max Capricorn, or somebody associated with him, had the Heavenly Host robots reprogrammed. (TV: Voyage of the Damned) Taren Capel was capable of reprogramming the Voc robot slaves. (TV: The Robots of Death)
