Tin Can Robot: Difference between revisions

 

Compare [[Used Future]], [[Real Robot]]. See also [[Forgot He Was a Robot]] for when this robot starts acting like a [[Ridiculously Human Robot]].

{{examples}}

* The Kohbu(/Eisenkleider/STARs/etc. etc.) from the ''[[Sakura Wars]]'' series are trashcan-looking [[Humongous Mecha]].

* ''[[Gigantor]]'' is a clear example of this. His body exactly resembles a tin can, being perfectly cylindrical (except for his rockets) and made of bare metal, while his arms and legs are similar.

* Mechazawa from ''[[Cromartie High School]]''. Despite being shaped like a large tin made of metal and needing to be constantly oiled, he and everyone else is blissfully unaware of his true nature.

** ...or at least everyone's afraid to [[Bullying a Dragon|breach the issue with the school's toughest fighter directly.]]

 

== Comic Books ==

* The lumbering warbots of Ashley Wood's [[Comicbook/World War Robot|World War Robot]] fit this trope to a T.

* Tin Can Tommy from ''[[The Beano]]'' doesn't only fit this trope but has a name to match.

 

== Film - Animated ==

* ''[[The Iron Giant]]''

 

== Film - Live-Action ==

* Arguably, the Tin Man from ''[[The Wizard of Oz (film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''. Whether or not he [[Unbuilt Trope|counts as a robot himself]], he's quite possibly the [[Trope Maker]].

** ''[[Undersea Kingdom]]'' (1936)

** ''[[wikipedia:Mysterious Doctor Satan|Mysterious Doctor Satan]]'' (1940)

** ''[[wikipedia:Zombies of the Stratosphere|Zombies of the Stratosphere]]'' (1952)

** ''[[wikipedia:Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe|Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe]]'' (1953)

{{quote|"Uh oh -- an enraged water heater!"}}

* [[Star Wars|R2-D2]] is the ultimate example, being not much ''more'' than a metal cylinder on wheels. Doesn't stop him [[Do-Anything Robot|packing plenty of hardware]] though.

* Many of Dr Totenkopf's robots in ''[[Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow]]''.

 

* [[Doctor Who|The Daleks]] certainly deserve a mention, despite technically being cyborgs. They're sort of bizarre by being six feet tall and having odd hemispherical protrusions, but whatever. ''[[Doctor Who]]'' also has the Mechanoids, the Sontaran scout robot, the [[Doctor Who/Recap/S6/E01 The Dominators|Quarks]], the [[Doctor Who/Recap/S5/E07 The Wheel in Space|servo robot]] and doubtless a few others.

* Cheezoid from ''[[That Mitchell and Webb Look]]'', which makes sense as he was made in a shed.

** Parodied with the Replidroids later in the series — they look like a standard Tin Can Robot, but everyone in the ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' spoof sketch behaves as if they're [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]].

* Robot in ''[[Lost in Space]]''

* TIM from ''[[The Tomorrow People]]'' had a mobile unit that looked a bit tin-canny.

* [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/File:Character.samrobot.jpg Sam the Robot] from ''[[Sesame Street]]''. This being ''Sesame Street'', of course, he still has googly eyes and a bowtie.

* Robot, from the Captain Helix [[Show Within a Show]] in ''[[Hyperdrive]]''; unsurprising, given that it's a parody of ''[[Star Wars]]'' and cheap imitations of the same.

* Andy, the tin ''box'' robot on [[Quark]].

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

* The robots in ''Brewster Rocket'' frequently fit this trope, especially Oldbot and the Killbots.

 

== Tabletop Games ==

* Combat, Janitorial and Animal Care robots in the Classic ''[[Traveller]]'' adventure ''Research Station Gamma''.

 

== Video Games ==

* Robots from ''[[Machinarium]]'' are very much like that, especially the main character.

* Malco, one of the control room guardians from ''[[Cave Story]]'', is one.

* The Robobrains from ''[[Fallout]]'' fit most of the bill, except for having tank treads instead of legs, while the Protectron models look suspiciously like Robbie the Robot from ''[[Forbidden Planet]]''.

* Cronk and Zephyr, elderly Warbots who first appear in ''[[Ratchet and Clank]] Future: Tools of Destruction''

* The final boss in ''[[Balloon Kid]]'' for the [[Game Boy]] is this kind of robot.

* Super Robot Thursday from ''[[Disgaea]]'' fits this trope, as he, Captain Gordon, and Jennifer are parodies of early science fiction series.

 

* ''[[Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!|Maji De Watashi Ni Koi Shinasai]]'' has Cookie, in his first form, who looks much like a cross between [[Forbidden Planet|Robbie the Robot]] and [[Star Wars|R2-D2]].

 

* Blunt from ''[[Freefall]]'', to the point where Sam describes him as looking like a big tin can.

* Clango and Red Robot from ''[[Diesel Sweeties]]''.

* In ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'', the robots that Diego created were all very ornate variation on this. [[Super Prototype|Since no one else fully understood his designs]], subsequent generations of Court robots became even more tin can-like after Diego's death.

* [[PROD 3000]], the robot "motivator" boss in ''[[Savage Chickens]]''.

 

== Web Original ==

* The Garbageman, a [[Gadgeteer Genius]] from the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'', guarded his lair with robots that looked like they were thrown together from old car parts, some galvanized steel garbage cans, and a lawn mower or two. They looked like that because they were thrown together from old car parts, some galvanized steel garbage cans, and a lawn mower or two. More dangerous than they sounded.

* While he's more box-like than can, Pollo from ''[[Atop the Fourth Wall]]'' definitely evokes this trope.

 

== Western Animation ==

* Bender from ''[[Futurama]]'' is a perfect caricature of a 1950s-style movie-robot, with a tin-can body, flexi-hose arms and legs, a typical robot head, and eyes clearly lifted from [[Mystery Science Theater 3000|Crow T. Robot]]. Some of the side characters are Tin Can Robots as well.

** Fry encounters an ''actual'' trash can who also happens to be a self-aware robot.

* Rosie the robot maid from ''[[The Jetsons]]''. (There was also a male robot called Mac, made by Henry, the building janitor.)

* The Master Cylinder, from ''[[Felix the Cat]]''.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Robot Roll Call]]

[[Category:Robot]]