History Main / SmartPeopleBuildRobots

* In Season 8 of ''{{Degrassi}}'' KC, Connor, Alli and Clare are part of a school team for a robotics competition [[WritingAroundTrademarks modeled after]] [[http://www.usfirst.org/ FIRST]].

* In an episode of ''TheBigBangTheory'', Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard, construct a robot named [[FunWithAcronyms M.O.N.T.E.]] for the [[OverlyLongName Southern California Robot Fighting League Round Robin Invitational]], though end up battling Barty Kripke's robot "the Krippler" in a street fight.
** Also [[{{Lampshade}} Lampshaded]]: There were a few jokes about them being defensive about how nerdy they were perceived by Penny, all the while doing the most geeky thing Penny could possibly imagine.

* ''TheSimpsons'': Homer & Bart try to build a robot for the ShowWithinAShow "[[Series/RobotWars Robot Rumble]]." But they can't get it to work, so Homer makes a "robot" that's just him in a metal suit. They make it to the finals, where they're matched up against 5 time returning champs Professor Frink and son. So, played straight (the Frinks) and Inverted (Bart & Homer, being dumb, can't build a robot).
** Though Homer did throw out a half finished robot, he built in another episode.

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* JimmyNeutron covered this trope a couple times.

* Anakin Skywalker in ''[[StarWars Star Wars Episode I]]'' is shown to have a preternatural talent for all things mechanical, in particular robots. Used not so much to show smartness per se, but rather cleverness and precociousness.

* Averted with WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}, who stops short at mere MoCapMecha instead, and a PoweredArmor for his assistant Minion (who depends on it, being a limbless talking fish.)

* [[{{Ant-Man}} Henry Pym]] and [[FantasticFour Reed Richards]], two {{Omnidisciplinary Scientist}}s who build robots in their spare time. Pym's are [[AIIsACrapshoot plot-relevant]], Richards' just hang around as background detail.

* In ''Webcomic/OHumanSta''r, this shows up a lot, seeing as every character so far is [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs a robot, a roboticist, or both.]]

* In OHumanStar, this shows up a lot, seeing as every character so far is [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs a robot, a roboticist, or both.]]

* In the new cast of {{Degrassi}} there are four kids in the gifted class that build a robot for their school's competition.

* [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Henry Pym]] and [[FantasticFour Reed Richards]], two {{Omnidisciplinary Scientist}}s who build robots in their spare time. Pym's are [[AIIsACrapshoot plot-relevant]], Richards' just hang around as background detail.

* Averted with {{Megamind}}, who stops short at mere MoCapMecha instead, and a PoweredArmor for his assistant Minion (who depends on it, being a limbless talking fish.)

* Dr.Morbius in {{Forbidden Planet}}

* On ''{{Mythbusters}}'', Grant, who formerly built robots for ''{{Battlebots}}'', is {{lampshaded}} as this type of TheSmartGuy by the others as a RunningGag.

* ''[[WizardsOfWaverlyPlace Wizards Of Waverly Place's]]'' smart guy Justin Russo builds a working robot out of household items... so he could dance with it in a "big synchronized robot event".

* Jennifer in ''{{Disgaea}}'' built [[RobotBuddy Thursday]] at an early age.

* Inverted with ''{{Ctrl Alt Del}}'', where Ethan somehow manages to make his X-Box and Gamecube into sentient Robots.

* In ''GirlGenius'', the title character has a particular aptitude for steampunk robots.

* Subverted in ''{{Homestuck}}'': Equius is the resident robotics expert yet he doesn't seem to be particularly bright.

* In ''KimPossible'', all the smart guys build robots and battle them at a place called "[[FightClubbing the Robot Rumble]]".

* Dexter of ''DextersLaboratory'' does a lot of advanced robotics.

* Kat in ''GunnerkriggCourt''. Annie also does it at first, but she just pieced together parts of a disassembled robot.

[[quoteright:300:[[ChronoTrigger http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lucca_and_Robo_1241.jpg]]]]

* In ChronoTrigger, [[TheSmartGirl smart girl]] Lucca has the skills and knowledge necessary to repair and reprogram a robot from the distant future to be her friend and party member. Good thing the future still uses [[PlugnPlayTechnology C]].

* Sean 'Dark Smoke Puncher' [[DoctorMcNinja McNinja]] is the family computer nerd, and fills his free time by building robot super animals. His father does not approve unless the robots hurt someone.

* ''TheSimpsons'': Homer & Bart try to build a robot for the ShowWithinAShow "[[RobotWars Robot Rumble]]." But they can't get it to work, so Homer makes a "robot" that's just him in a metal suit. They make it to the finals, where they're matched up against 5 time returning champs Professor Frink and son. So, played straight (the Frinks) and Inverted (Bart & Homer, being dumb, can't build a robot).

* Dr.Morbeus in {{Forbidden Planet}}

* ''Riptide'' (TV Adventure series, not [[{{Riptide}} the novel]]): GadgeteerGenius sometimes-helper Murray "Boz" Bozinsky has a robot he calls the [=RoBoz=].

* Dexter of DextersLaboratory does a lot of advanced robotics.