History Main / SmartPeopleBuildRobots

* The ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'''s leader ComicBook/MisterFantastic is considerably smarter than Henry Pym, and he constantly builds all kinds of robots. Unfortunately, his just tend to just [[InTheFutureWeStillHaveRoombas hang around as background detail]]. Well, he did built both his assistant bot(s) H.E.R.B.I.E. and the F.F.'s robot secretary Roberta -- just how ''[[SlidingScaleOfRobotIntelligence sentient]]'' they are is a major case of DependingOnTheWriter, though.

* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'''s leader ComicBook/MisterFantastic is considerably smarter than Henry Pym, and he constantly builds all kinds of robots. Unfortunately, his just [[InTheFutureWeStillHaveRoombas hang around as background detail]]. Well, he did built both his assistant bot(s) H.E.R.B.I.E. and the F.F.'s robot secretary Roberta -- just how ''[[SlidingScaleOfRobotIntelligence sentient]]'' they are is a major case of DependingOnTheWriter, though.

* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'''s leader ComicBook/MisterFantastic is considerably smarter than Henry Pym, and he constantly builds all kinds of robots. Unfortunately, theirs just [[InTheFutureWeStillHaveRoombas hang around as background detail]].

So your resident [[TheSmartGuy smart guy]] is already [[SmartPeopleWearGlasses bespectacled]], [[SmartPeoplePlayChess a master chess player]], and [[SmartPeopleKnowLatin fluent in Latin]]. How else can you show how brilliant he is? Why, by having him build robots of course! May be {{justified|Trope}} (said smart guy has a formal education in an appropriate branch of engineering, is a self-taught GadgeteerGenius, etc.) or [[HandWave not]] (said smart guy is a teenager [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands who just happens to, among his many other skills, be able to create from scratch a]] [[DoubleEntendre fully functional robot]]). [[LoveHungry A lonely]] or [[IntelligenceEqualsIsolation isolated creator]] might create a robot for the sake of [[IJustWantToHaveFriends having a friend]] or [[PygmalionPlot a lover.]]

This may be because [[HollywoodNerd all nerds are good with technology]], so building robots is the [[UpToEleven next logical step]]. In [[ScienceFiction Sci-Fi]] stories, expect the creation to be an [[ArtificialIntelligence Artificially Intelligent]] [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman anthropomorphic]] RobotBuddy. Or [[KillerRobot Evil]].

* ''Manga/DrSlump'': The only reason (aside from RuleOfFunny) why Senbei even tried to built a RidiculouslyHumanRobot in the first place was probably to invoke this trope. However, since Senbei is [[BunglingInventor not that smart]], he created Arale, a extremely ditzy CloudCuckoolander with flawed-eyesight, and accidentally [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids made her]] [[ShowyInvincibleHero absurdly]] [[SuperStrength powerful]]. HilarityEnsues.

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

* ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'': In "Courage VS Mecha-Courage", [[AsianRudeness Di]] [[InsufferableGenius Lung]] builds the episode's titular Mecha-Courage; he then proceeds to ''incredibly''-[[ArrogantKungFuGuy arrogantly]] [[UnsportsmanlikeGloating boast]] about how easily said machine can beat Courage in a fight...and largely [[CurbStompBattle isn't wrong]], except for the fact that [[LogicalWeakness he apparently forgot to give it enough battery life to enable it to live long enough]] [[MadeOfIron to be able to actually kill someone who is as physically durable as Courage]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Nukees}}'' Plasma Physics major Danny built a giant, robotic, nuclear-powered ant for the government, though Gav tends to borrow it for rampages against Greenies. Gav on the other hand is more inclined towards software, such as Teri the Turing-grade calculator pet that escaped into the internet and infected most of the world.

'''Rick''': [[MundaneUtility You pass butter.]]\\

* ''VideoGame/Undertale'': Doctor Alphys is the Royal Scientist of the Underground, famous for creation the entertainment robot known as Mettaton. However, It's later revealed that Mettaton is a ghost monster and Alphys simply created a robotic shell for her friend.

* Tadashi and Hiro Hamada from ''Disney/BigHero6'' as two smart siblings. The former built Baymax, a robotic healthcare assistant, and the latter is incredibly good at building battle-bots.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'': Tails, especially in ''VideoGame/TailsAdventure'' where he's been shown to have a little robot buddy called T-Pup. T-Pup later made the jump to ''ComicBook/ArchiesSonicTheHedgehog'' where he became Tails's DoAnythingRobot sidekick.

%% * ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'': Tails, especially in ''VideoGame/TailsAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles''.

* In ''Anime/{{Tamagotchi]}'', series protagonist Mametchi, who has an IQ of 250, loves to invent stuff and is seen on multiple occasions building his own robots. When he goes to Dream School in ''Yume Kira Dream'', he takes the Robotics class.

->'''Little Robot''': What-is-my-purpose?
->'''Rick''': [[MundaneUtility You pass butter.]]
->'''Little Robot''': [looks at hands] Oh-my-god.
->'''Rick''': Yeah, welcome to the club, pal.

* [[ComicBook/AntMan Henry Pym]] and [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]], two {{Omnidisciplinary Scientist}}s who build robots in their spare time. Pym's are [[AIIsACrapshoot plot-relevant]], Richards' just [[InTheFutureWeStillHaveRoombas hang around as background detail]].
* In ''Comicbook/IronMan'', Tony Stark is kidnapped while visiting Vietnam ([[Film/IronMan1 Afghanistan in the film version]]) and ordered to help develop weapons for his captors. But instead of rigging a [=MacGyver=]-style escape plan, he uses the equipment he's given to build a suit of PoweredArmor and break out. In the film version, he also has a couple of robot arms in his workspace that he built himself, who he refers to as "Dummy" and "You". It's implied that he built Dummy back when he was a kid.
* UsefulNotes/{{The Silver Age|OfComicBooks}} Franchise/{{Superman}} could pump out a quick robot, no problem.

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Equius is the resident robotics expert yet he doesn't seem to be particularly bright.
** Played straight, however, with Dirk.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'': Tails, especially in ''VideoGame/TailsAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles''.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': Tails, especially in ''VideoGame/TailsAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles''.

* RamaII: Have you met Puck, Bottom, or Joan of Arc yet? They are incredibly lifelike, and can rely messages, a well as play Shakespeare, and in Bottoms case, shapeshift smoothly. They're the hobby of one of the astronauts.

* RamaII: Have you met Puck, Bottom, or Joan of Arc yet? They are incredibly lifelike, and can rely messages, a well as play Shakespeare, and in Bottoms case, shapeshift smoothly without incurring an uncanny valley due to moving mechanical parts showing. They're also the hobby of one of the astronauts.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Manga/DrSlump'': The only reason (aside from RuleOfFunny) why Senbei even tried to built a RidiculouslyHumanRobot in the first place was probably to invoke this trope. However, since Senbei is [[BunglingInventor not that smart]], he created Arale, a extremely ditzy CloudCuckoolander with flawed-eyesight, and accidentally [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids made her]] [[ShowyInvincibleHero absurdly]] [[SuperStrength powerful]]. HilarityEnsues.

[[folder:Comicbooks]]

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

[[folder:FanFiction]]

* Creator/RobinWilliams in ''Film/{{Flubber}}'' has two, a butler named Webber and a secretary named Weebo. He's also built a machine with the sole purpose of making him breakfast-forget a coffee maker, his is a ''pancake'' maker.
* Averted big time in ''Film/RealSteel'', where practically anyone with just enough smarts can build robots from scrap.
* Dr. Morbius in ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. Justified since his intellect was enhanced by alien technology.
* Film/IronMan, as mentioned in the Comic Books section.
* Nathan from ''Film/ExMachina'' is a computer genius who left search engine development behind and moved on to create RidiculouslyHumanRobots who are able to pass the TuringTest.
* In ''Film/HighSchoolUSA'', Otto Lipton is a genius who has created a robot that he believes to be capable of going into space, and which accompanies him everywhere.

* This is pretty much the beginning of Literature/AndyBucketsRobots.

* In the Series/NickVerse show ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'', Zoey and her friends construct a robot to battle against a group of [[InsufferableGenius Insufferable Geniuses']] robots.

* ''Series/{{Riptide}}'' (TV Adventure series, not [[Literature/{{Riptide}} the novel]]): GadgeteerGenius sometimes-helper Murray "Boz" Bozinsky has a robot he calls the [=RoBoz=].
* Steve Urkel from ''Series/FamilyMatters'' built a robot or two.
* In Season 8 of ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' KC, Connor, Alli and Clare are part of a school team for a robotics competition [[WritingAroundTrademarks modeled after]] [[http://www.usfirst.org/ FIRST]].


* Some of {{The Smart Guy}}s of ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' have an affinity for robotics. The blue ranger [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Billy]] never built one himself, but did build a flying car known as the "RADBUG", wrist communicators that allowed the team to contact Zordon, and occasionally did maintenance and repairs on Zordon's assistant Alpha 5. [[Series/PowerRangersTimeForce Trip]] has Circuit, an owl RobotBuddy that he built. [[spoiler:[[Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive Andrew Hartford]] built himself a {{Ridiculously Human Robot|s}} son.]] [[Series/PowerRangersSamurai Antonio]] reverse-engineered his Ranger gear by studying a RobotBuddy he was given, and was often put to work by the team repairing and completing their other mecha.


* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Being the [[BuffySpeak Smart Girl]] of the Scoobies, Willow apparently has enough knowledge of robotics to fiddle around with the various RidiculouslyHumanRobots they encounter, modifying the Buffybot for their use.

* Members of the [[TabletopGame/WarHammer40000 Adeptus Mechanicus]] sometimes build Cyber-Altered Task units, which are very simple robots used for routine tasks. They ''say'' they're a practical application of [[AveMachina theological principles]], but to outsiders they seem suspiciously like pets.
* ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'' has the Techie [[PrestigeClass advanced class]], which is most easily reached through the [[TheSmartGuy Smart Hero]] class and can eventually learn to build small assisting robots. They're remote-controlled drones with very limited capabilities, mostly to let Techies use certain skills without putting themselves in direct danger.

[[folder:Videogames]]

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': Tails, especially in ''VideoGame/TailsAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles''.

* Gaige from ''The Mechromancer'' DLC for ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' built her RobotBuddy Deathtrap in her garage, intending to enter it in the school science fair as a bodyguard drone. The local AlphaBitch built a ShoddyKnockoff and bribed all the judges so she'd win instead, and gave Gaige a push when she "won", and Deathtrap squished her (she's said to have "exploded") while trying to restrain her for assault. This led Gaige to leg it for [[DeathWorld Pandora]]. Deathtrap can be upgraded with all sorts of goodies depending on what perks Gaige's player takes.
* Nepgear of the VideoGame/{{Neptunia}} series loves her robots and tinkering with stuff with general.

* Sean 'Dark Smoke Puncher' [[WebComic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja 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.

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

* [[{{Cyborg}} Kimiko]] of ''Webcomic/DresdenCodak''; why wait for someone to come along and say [[WeCanRebuildHim We Can Rebuild Her]], when you could just do it yourself?

* It's eventually revealed that the [[FunWithAcronyms B.I.L.L.]] series of robots were built by local OmnidiscipliaryScientist Caroline. Though despite playing the isolated and lonely inventor, she really dislikes them being robot boyfriends.

[[folder:Web Originals]]

* Danny from ''WebAnimation/BravestWarriors'' builds a robot version of Chris in season 2. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that he's the group's tech guy.

* Toby, WesternAnimation/WordGirl's most intelligent ArchEnemy (not that there's a lot of competition for the title), builds giant robots to carry out his Evil Plans.

* Dexter of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' does a lot of advanced robotics.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' covered this trope a couple times.

* In ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'', Rick Sanchez builds a small robot for the sake of passing him the butter on the dinner table. The robot is also smart enough to have an existential crisis upon realizing that its ''only'' purpose is to pass butter for Rick.
* The Brain from ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' has been shown to occasionally build robots.
* Buckwheat in ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleRascals'' often builds robots using BambooTechnology. One was designed to clean Waldo's yacht, and another was Buckwheat's project for the school science fair.
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' the Professor builds the '''Dy'''namic '''Na'''notronic '''Mo'''nobot for the girls to battle a giant fish. Despite the fact that the resulting damage is no worse than any other time the girls save the city, the Mayor tells him to never use it again. The only other appearance of the Dynamo is when the Mayor himself accidentally pilots it and destroys the city.
* Played straight and inverted in ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom''. Tails and Dr. Eggman both create robots for a robot fighting tournament. The inversion is when Knuckles, who is dimmer in this continuity compared to the others, makes his own robot to enter. [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Hypno-bot Tails]] and Eggman's robots look like something you'd expect from a prodigy and a 300 IQ scientist. Knuckles' [[http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Vacuu-Fan_2000 robot]] is a cardboard box with wheels and vacuum cleaner parts attached to it.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'': Jeremie Belpois, TheSmartGuy and MissionControl of the Lyoko Warriors, is a TeenGenius with a preference for computers and robotics. A couple of episodes have had him creating robots as a solution to an obstacle, and the reason why he became involved in the whole mess (and dragged his future FireForgedFriends into it) was because he reactivated the supercomputer that held Lyoko (and XANA and his future friend Aelita) when he was looking for parts to use for his robotics projects on the abandoned factory near his school.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': Max, the local TeenGenius, has somehow built himself a hovering, ''sapient'' RobotBuddy.