Android

An android is an artificially created robotic being that resembles a human being usually both in appearance and behavior. The word derives from Greek Andr- 'man, human' and the suffix -eides used to mean 'of the species, kind, alike' (from eidos 'species').

Ambiguity

Historically, science fiction authors have used "android" in a greater diversity of ways than the terms "robot" and "cyborg". In some fiction works, the primary difference between a robot and android is only skin-deep, with androids being made to look almost exactly like humans on the outside, but with internal mechanics exactly the same as that of robots. In other stories, authors have defined android to indicate a wholly organic, yet artificial, creation. Other definitions of android fall somewhere in between.

Related Topics:
Science fiction - Authors

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The character Data, from ', is described as an android. In an early episode ("The Naked Now"), Data was thought to be intoxicated, perhaps suggesting that he was intended by the writers to be at least partially organic. In later episodes, Data's insides were shown to be mechanical.

Related Topics:
Data - The Naked Now - Intoxicated

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The replicants from the movie Blade Runner were genetically engineered organic beings. While they were not referred to as either robots or androids in the movie, the screenplay was originally based on a novel by Philip K. Dick called "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep".

Related Topics:
Replicant - Blade Runner - Novel - Philip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

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The robots of Čapek's R.U.R. were organic in nature. Today, an author writing a similar story might very well be inclined to call them androids.

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The character Ash in the movie Alien, another artificial organic being, is often referred to as an android (though not in the dialog of the movie itself).

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C-3PO and R2-D2 from the Star Wars movies are referred to as droids. While C-3PO could reasonably be called an android because he is humanoid in appearance, the squat cylinder R2-D2 is only humanoid in behavior.

Related Topics:
C-3PO - R2-D2 - Star Wars

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In the movie A.I., the robotic characters are called mechanoids, but the film is loosely based on a short story written by Brian Aldiss called "Supertoys Last All Summer Long", in which the central character David is called an android (by which Aldiss seemed to be referring to an organic creation).

Related Topics:
A.I. - Brian Aldiss

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