Close your eyes and imagine you're on a giant spaceship, deep in space.
The halls are dark metal, stretching out in all directions like a maze.
Red warning lights flash, sirens wail.
Smoke fills the air, making it hard to see.
You grip your laser gun tight.
Your mission was simple.
Get in, grab the data, and get out.
But now alarms are blaring, and the enemy knows you're here.
Metal footsteps echo behind you.
The enemy robots are closing in.
You spin around. Their red eyes glow in the dark scanning for you.
Their steel arms move with smooth precise motions as they raise their laser blasters.
You fire first. One takes a hit to the chest but keeps coming.
Another falls, but more push forward. 5, 10, 15.
They march in perfect rows, cold and unstoppable.
A laser blast streaks past your head, burning into the wall behind you.
Another flashes by your shoulder, you duck, heart pounding.
You dash down the hall, but they are right behind you.
More lasers cut through the smoke -filled air.
You skid around a corner and dive behind a metal crate.
Your breathing is heavy.
Your laser gun is warm in your hand.
You peek over the crate.
Too many of them. Too fast. You're trapped.
Then, just when you think it's over, a XL9 drops from above.
Your robot companion lands between you and the enemy.
His glowing blue eyes lock onto the attackers.
His arms lift as he powers up.
Then, he blasts them with rapid fire.
Sparks fly. Robots collapse.
One leaps toward him, but Axl9 swings his heavy metal arm, knocking it into the wall.
You scramble to your feet as the last enemy robot falls, smoke rising from its broken circuits.
Axl9 turns to you. Tactical advantage secured, he says in his steady, robotic voice.
Let's go. Does this scene feel familiar?
If so, it's because you've seen movies or read books that include robots.
Have you ever seen a robot in a movie, tv show, or book?
Robots are everywhere in pop culture.
But where did they start?
How did they become so popular?
Let's take a journey through time to see how robots became a big part of our stories.
A long time ago, people dreamed about robots.
In 1920, a play called RUR, Rossum's Universal Robots, introduced the word robot.
The play was about machines that looked like humans and worked for people, but in the story, the robots rebelled.
world. This idea of robots turning against humans became a big theme in future stories.
In 1927, a movie called Metropolis showed one of the first famous robots in film.
This robot, named Maria, looked like a golden human.
She was part of a story about a future city.
This movie was one of the first to imagine robots in a world full of machines.
In the 1950s, robots started showing up in more movies and books.
People were excited about the future and thought robots might help with work.
But some stories also warned that robots could be dangerous.
One famous robot from this time was Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still, 1951.
Gort was a giant metal robot who came to Earth with an alien.
– he was powerful and could destroy cities.
But he only acted when people were violent.
This made people wonder, should robots be friends or enemies?
Another important robot from this time was Robbie the Robot from Forbidden Planet 1956.
Robbie could talk, walk, and follow orders.
He was one of the first movie robots that looked friendly and helpful.
As television became more popular, robots appeared on TV shows.
One famous robot was the robot from Lost in Space, 1965.
This robot helped a family lost in space.
He warned them of danger by saying, Danger, Will Robinson!
More recently, Netflix created a new version of the show Lost in Space with many of the same characters, including a helpful robot.
In 1977, one of the most famous science fiction films of all time introduced two new robots.
One was tall and gold, the other was short and drove around on wheels.
They weren't big, scary machines, and they didn't chase anyone with laser weapons.
Instead, these two robots made people laugh, helped their friends defeat the evil empire and Darth Vader and became some of the most famous robots in movie history.
Can you guess their names?
If you said R2 -D2 and C3PO you were correct.
R2 -D2 was small, brave, and spoke with beeps and whistles instead of words.
He was clever, quick thinking, and always ready to help.
C3PO, on the other hand, was tall, golden, and a little nervous.
He spoke many languages and often worried about danger.
Unlike the scary robots from earlier science fiction movies, these two were funny, loyal, and full of personality.
Audiences loved them and they became some of the most even more popular.
Some were heroes and some were villains.
One popular TV series, and toys, introduced robots that could change from cars, airplanes, and other vehicles into walking, talking, fighting robots.
If you guessed the Transformers toys and TV show, you were correct.
Optimus Prime was the leader of the good robots, called autobots.
Kids loved watching them battle the evil Decepticons.
Another famous robot from this time was Johnny Five from Short Circuit.
Johnny Five was a military robot who became alive and wanted to learn about the world.
He was kind, curious, and loved jokes.
In the 2000s, movies and TV shows started making robots feel more real and emotional.
One of the most loved robots from this time was Pixar's Wall -E.
Wall -E was a small, lonely robot who cleaned up trash on earth.
He didn't talk much, but he showed a lot of feelings.
People cared about him because he was kind and brave. Another famous robot was Baymax from Big Hero 6, 2014.
Baymax was a soft, balloon -like robot who helped people as a nurse.
He was gentle and caring, showing that robots and stories could be helpers.
Today robots appear in more movies, TV shows and games than ever before.
Some are funny and full of personality, like Ron from Ron's Gone Wrong.
He's supposed to be a perfect, high -tech best friend, but he's full of glitches, making him unpredictable and hilarious.
Then there's Roz from The Wild Robot.
Unlike most robots, Roz isn't built for adventure.
She wakes up alone on a wild island, and must learn to survive by observing animals and adapting to nature.
Other robots are action heroes helping to save the day.
In Lightyear, Socks is a small robotic cat who can talk, scan for danger, and even hack into computers.
He's not just helpful, he's also a great friend.
In The Mitchells vs. the Machines, robots start out as villains, trying to take over the world, but some of them, like the broken helper -bots end up joining the heroes instead.
Whether they're making us laugh, saving the day, or learning what it means to be a friend, robots continue to be some of the most exciting characters in movies today.
Real life robots are also becoming more advanced.
Scientists are making robots that can walk, talk, and even think.
Some robots can help doctors, build cars, or even clean houses.
The robots we see in movies might not be real yet, but they could be one day.
So what do you think about robots?
Do you like friendly ones, like R2D2 and Baymax?
Or do you prefer action robots like Optimus Prime?
Robots in pop culture have changed a lot over time.
From the golden robot Maria in Metropolis to the lovable WALL -E, they have captured our imaginations for over 100 years.
And who knows, maybe one day we will have robot friends of our own.
