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Robots is a 1988 Interactive movie directed by Doug Smith and Kim Takal. Its screenplay, by Peter Olatka, is based on Isaac Asimov's Robot series. It stars Stephen Rowe as Elijah Baley, Brent Barrett as R. Daneel Olivaw, and John Henry Cox as Han Fastolfe.
Elijah Baley is issued an assignment by Police Commissioner Julius Enderby to induct a Spacer Robot onto the force, as requested by Dr. Han Fastolfe, the galaxy's leading Spacer roboticist. Baley meets R. Daneel Olivaw at Spacertown, where they discover that Han Fastolfe becomes the victim of a failed murder attempt, his life saved thanks to his robot assistant R. Giskard. Kelden Amadiro, seemingly enraged by the attack on Fastolfe, quickly blames Earth. Using the riots against Spacers and Robots as an excuse, Amadiro issues an ultimatum to Enderby: Find Fastolfe's assailant in 24 hours or Spacer Robots will enter the City to put down the riots.
Throughout the video, Elijah Baley addresses Data Central (the viewers) where he "submits" evidence in the form of a clue card. The viewers are prompted to draw one of the cards with one side facing up while taking note of everything that happens in the story. Along the way, he interviews Sophia Quintana- Earth's leading roboticist, rivaled (and romantically rejected) by Fastolfe himself-, Vasilia Fastolfe- Han's estranged daughter, who bears a grudge towards Han for stealing credit for her works, and harbors an overt distaste for Earthmen (Baley most notably)-, and finally Amadiro, who is a political rival of Fastolfe, the former of whom is known for his anti-Earth views.
Daneel objects since Spacers have no crime and Vasilia is Han's daughter, but Baley argues that they've become unstable enough by the stress of being on Earth. Daneel then adds to the list Julius Enderby who, being a medievalist and under pressure to control the riots, also had clear motive. Elijah agrees, but also adds Borgraf, Jane and Sammy, which Daneel objects because of the First Law of Robotics: "A Robot may not injure a human or, through inaction, allow a human to come to harm."
Upon returning to Spacertown, Baley reveals that the Han Fastolfe in the lab is actually a humanoid robot sent by the real Han Fastolfe (who is still on Aurora) in anticipation of his ongoing political struggles with Amadiro and Vasilia, and out of an overriding fear of Earth germs (which was at odds with Robot Fastolfe's more hospitable behavior). At the last moment of Amadiro's ultimatum, Daneel comes through with the last bit of evidence. Baley accepts it and shakes Daneel's hand, ending his hostility with the humanoid robot.
The video ends on a cliffhanger, with Baley prompting the viewers to use the clues they've gathered from the cards and the video to identify the suspect, spell out their motive and describe the opportunity they had to commit the crime.
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A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be constructed to evoke human form, but most robots are task-performing machines, designed with an emphasis on stark functionality, rather than expressive aesthetics.
The Caves of Steel is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov. It is a detective story and illustrates an idea Asimov advocated, that science fiction can be applied to any literary genre, rather than just being a limited genre in itself.
Foundation and Earth is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov, the fifth novel of the Foundation series and chronologically the last in the series. It was published in 1986, four years after the first sequel to the Foundation trilogy, which is titled Foundation's Edge.
The Foundation series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas in 1942–50, and subsequently in three books in 1951–53, for nearly thirty years the series was widely known as The Foundation Trilogy: Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953). It won the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966. Asimov later added new volumes, with two sequels, Foundation's Edge (1982) and Foundation and Earth (1986), and two prequels, Prelude to Foundation (1988) and Forward the Foundation (1993).
The Robot Series is a series of thirty-seven science fiction short stories and six novels created by American writer Isaac Asimov, from 1940 to 1995. The series is set in a world where sentient positronic robots serve a number of purposes in society. To ensure their loyalty, the Three Laws of Robotics are programmed into these robots, with the intent of preventing them from ever becoming a danger to humanity. Later, Asimov would merge the Robot series with his Foundation series.
The Three Laws of Robotics are a set of rules devised by science fiction author Isaac Asimov, which were to be followed by robots in several of his stories. The rules were introduced in his 1942 short story "Runaround", although similar restrictions had been implied in earlier stories.
R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. The "R" initial in his name stands for "Robot," a naming convention in Asimov's future society during Earth's early period of space colonization. Daneel is introduced in The Caves of Steel, a serialized story published in Galaxy Science Fiction from October to December 1953. The full story was published by Doubleday as a hardcover book in 1954.
Robots and Empire is a science fiction novel by the American author Isaac Asimov, published by Doubleday Books in 1985. It is part of Asimov's Robot series, which consists of many short stories and five novels.
The Naked Sun is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov, the second in his Robot series. Like its predecessor, The Caves of Steel, this is a whodunit story. It was first published in book form in 1957 after being serialized in Astounding Science Fiction between October and December 1956.
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Elijah "Lije" Baley is a fictional character in Isaac Asimov's Robot series. He is the main character of the novels The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun and The Robots of Dawn, and of the short story "Mirror Image." He is seen in flashbacks several times and talked about frequently in Robots and Empire, which is set roughly 160 years after his death. He is further mentioned in passing in "Foundation and Earth" as a "Culture Hero". Besides Asimov's works he appears in the Foundation's Friends story "Strip-Runner" by Pamela Sargent, and "Isaac Asimov's 'The Caves of Steel'" poem by Randall Garrett.
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Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots. Robotics is related to the sciences of electronics, engineering, mechanics, and software. The word "robot" was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R., published in 1920. The term "robotics" was coined by Isaac Asimov in his 1941 science fiction short-story "Liar!"
The history of robots has its origins in the ancient world. During the Industrial Revolution, humans developed the structural engineering capability to control electricity so that machines could be powered with small motors. In the early 20th century, the notion of a humanoid machine was developed.
The Foundation universe is the future history of humanity's colonization of the galaxy, spanning nearly 25,000 years, created through the gradual fusion of the Robot, Galactic Empire, and Foundation book series written by American author Isaac Asimov.
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Demerzel is a fictional character in the 2021 Apple TV+ television series Foundation, an adaptation of the Foundation series of novels by Isaac Asimov. She is portrayed by Finnish actress Laura Birn. Demerzel is a gynoid, or female-presenting humanoid robot, who serves as the majordomo to the revolving trio of Emperor Cleon clones, Brothers Dawn, Day and Dusk. In season two, it is revealed that Demerzel is the real power behind the Imperial throne, guiding humanity on a millennial scale.