Robots named [[Robert]], Robbie/Robby, Rob, and the like, reflect an [[alliteration]] [[Trope (fiction)|trope]] in [[science fiction]] in which [[robot]]s are given names starting with the letter "r", and particularly with the [[phoneme]] "rob". [[Isaac Asimov]] noted this in-universe in the short story, "Christmas Without Rodney", in which a character says: "There's no law about it, but you've probably noticed for yourself that almost every robot has a name beginning with R. R for robot, I suppose. The usual name is Robert. There must be a million robot Roberts in the northeast corridor alone".<ref>[[Isaac Asimov]], "Christmas Without Rodney", ''[[Robot Visions]]'' (1991), p. 398.</ref> This trope has appeared not only in the [[English language]], but also in languages such as [[German language|German]] and [[Russian language|Russian]]. Robots named following this trope include:
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==Actual robots== An early nonfictional "robot" named Robert was a briefly popular children's toy introduced at the 1954 New York Toy Fair, called "Robert the Robot".<ref>Steve Carper. ''Robots in American Popular Culture'' (2019).</ref><ref>Sharon M. Scott, ''Toys and American Culture: An Encyclopedia'' (2009), p. 157.</ref>
A [[humanoid]] robot named [[Robert the Robot]] is launched in 2025, developed by the Swiss fintech company RB Labs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-12 |title=Robots, voitures volantes… l’intelligence artificielle envahit Genève |url=https://www.tdg.ch/geneve-lintelligence-artificielle-envahit-palexpo-530154369742 |access-date=2025-12-23 |website=Tribune de Genève |language=fr}}</ref>
==Fictional characters== * ''[[Robby the Robot]]'' (character), a science-fiction icon, fictional character, and, robot suit, featured in many U.S. sci-fi movies and television * ''Rob the Robot'' (Rob the Robot), a fictional character from the eponymous TV show [[Rob the Robot (TV series)|''Rob the Robot'' (TV series)]] * ''Robert the Robot'' (Fireball XL-5), a fictional character from the 1960s marionette TV show ''[[Fireball XL-5]]'' * ''Robbie the Robot'' (Isaac Asimov), the titular character from the Isaac Asimov short story [[Robbie (short story)|"Robbie" (short story)]] * [[List of characters in the Star Fox series#ROB 64|ROB 64]], a robot character in the ''Star Fox'' video game series * Robert, a fictional character in the 1967 Soviet science fiction film ''[[His Name Was Robert]]'' (Russian: ''Его звали Роберт'', romanized: ''Ego zvali Robert'') * Roberta, a fictional character in the 1989 film ''[[Not Quite Human 2]]'' * Robbie, a dancing robot invented by Brains in the 1971 children's show ''[[Here Come the Double Deckers|Here Come the Double Deckers!]]'' episode "Robbie the Robot" (1971) * Robbi, a.k.a. ROB 344–66/IIIa, co-pilot of the ''Fliewatüüt'' and student of a third class at robot school, in the 1972 German children's show ''[[Robbi, Tobbi und das Fliewatüüt]]'' * Robert the Robot, a main character in the BBC children's television comedy show ''[[Justin's House]]'', beginning in 2011 * Robbie, a toy robot that Steve utilizes to spy on Stan in the ''[[American Dad!]]'' episode "Toy Whorey" * Robbie, a recurring robot constructed by inventor Knox in German series ''[[Fix and Foxi|Fix und Foxi]]'', first drawn by Massimo Fecchi (1976)
==Other uses== * [[Rob the Robot (TV series)|''Rob the Robot'' (TV series)]], a CGI-animated preschooler TV show *[[R.O.B.]], a mid-1980s accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System that later was used as a cameo character in various video games
==See also== * [[Rosie the Robot]], from ''The Jetsons'' * BO. B. LF-28 (pronounced "Bob") a robot in [[The Black Hole (1979 film)|''The Black Hole'' (1979 film)]] * [[Robert (doll)]], an allegedly haunted doll * [[Robert (disambiguation)]] * [[Robbie (disambiguation)]] * [[Robby (disambiguation)]] * [[Rob (disambiguation)]] * [[Robot (disambiguation)]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
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