Robot, Android, Cyborg... What's the difference?

Well, I noticed we got all 3 of those as Skin Names and while many people like to use these Words interchangeably, they all have there time and place.

First of, the Cyborg. A cyborg is Natural being like an Animal or Human that got enhanced by the Power of Science...

Augmentations like Replaced limbs, Mechanical Eyes, a Robot Tail, a Metal Head and similar things make a normal living being into a Cyborg, so a Cyborg can't be just build up from the ground with Tech Parts.

Now the Android. An Android is a Robot that is meant to resemble a Human. This means they are pretty rare, especially outside of fiction, because we're not quite there yet, or maybe science is holding back.

A common Theme in many Stories is because of their Brains and Physical Superiority, Androids would replace Humans as the Top Species. While it is uncertain if True AI that could actually think for itself would see Humans as a threat and would get rid of them, it is something many people fear, especially if you have an AI that's main goal is to improve and reach the optimal efficiency.

So yeah, the Idea of Androids can be quite Scary, so they are often used for Stories that ask the big questions... If we had Androids like say in "Detroit Become Human", would they look for peace? Would they fight injustice and Violence with more Violence?

I think Androids are a fascinating Topic to think about. Also, if you noticed it, the Android Mascot fails to be an Android. 🤣

It's a Robot. But what is a Robot? Well, it's a broad term. And if you want to know, yes, since Androids are build from the ground up, Androids are Robots too.

Remember, every Android is a Robot, but not every Robot is an Android. It's like every Italian is a European, but not every European is Italian.

Robots can take a lot of sizes and shapes, but the defining Trait of Robots is that whatever their Task may be, they can clear it without further input thanks to their Programming.

That Vacuum that clears your House on its own (after being Turned on) qualifies as Robot, however, stuff like a Microwave or Toaster that only does what you want it to if you pick the right settings won't count as Robot.

Same goes for stuff like Radiators or Fridges that just permanently do their Job until you take away their Fuel or turn them off.

However, the tasks of a Robot can vary a lot, some may be very helpful like Arms that help assembling Cars on a conveyor Belt and others might have weird Tasks for the sake of Sience... like a Robot that is designed to just get back up on his feet after falling down.

So yeah, know your words and don't mix them up anymore!

By the way, if you are a Dragonball Z Fan, you must have noticed made some mistakes (at least in Translations, Can't tell if Japan doesn't have these different Definitions or not).

The Android/Cyborg Saga features both, but for the Sake of having them in a group, they all just get called "Androids" or "Cyborgs", even if that will be the wrong definition for some of them.

So for those Curious: #16 and #19 were really Androids and #17 (Real Name:Lapis), #18 (Real Name:Lazuli) and #20 also Known as Dr. Gero are Cyborgs.

Dr. Gero pushes the Idea of an Cyborg to its very extreme, since most of his body is already Robotic. The only part that seems to still be Human is his Brain that is sitting in a glass bowl inside his Skull and can be seen if he loses his Hat.

It is questionable how much Gero changed his appearance, but given that he looks like an fed up old man I guess he let #19 recreate his Robitic Body to his actual current appearance as closely as he could.

#17/Lapis and #18/Lazuli are never really damaged in a way that would show how much Robitics are in them, so it's questionable how much they have been changed.

The only things we know is they must have A Bomb inside them (which Gero put there to control them by threatening to blow them up if they don't obey him) and some sort of Tech Parts that give them "Infinite Energy" (They don't need to Eat, Sleep, or ever run out of Ki) it's all a bit underdeveloped, probably because this aspect of "Infinite Energy" was the main Reason they were supposed to be dangerous and Akira Toriyama mostly writes as he goes, so he probably never intended for them to stay around and make us question how they work beyond "They Never get Tired".

To the last important Character, Cell. He is Neither an Android nor a Cyborg... He is an Artificial Lifeform. As his name suggests he came to be by Working on a Cellular level, getting Samples of the Strongest Fighters and trying to Create a Perfect Gene Pool for a Perfect Life Form.

He had an Incredible Strong Base Form, but also used the Idea of "Stealing Ki/Life Energy" but without being restricted by it like #19 and Gero. He wanted to absorb #17 and #18 to become the REAL Perfect Life Form and while they both boost his Strength considerably, he doesn't seem to take over the "Infinite Energy" aspect of them...

However, he still had his Cell regeneration (granted by Piccolo's Cells, although it was way WAY more efficient than Piccolo's Regeneration ever was) which meant getting rid off him was pretty hard... Also because of "Bad Writing" to get another Plot Twist/Final Confrontation, he managed to Blow himself up, somehow survive and thanks to the "Saiyan Cells" come back Stronger than before.

As for Android 21 that got created for FighterZ... She seems to be an Android at first (since she resembles Gero's Wife), but then they add that she can changed her Form into something completely different and that she can change her Form by Absorbing People just like Cell... So I don't know if this still counts for an Android or not.

Then again, Dragonball GT had an Arc there they recreated #17 (making this one a Real Android) and him and Lapis (OG #17) Fuse into a New Form...

Would that be a Cyborg because of Lapis? Or an Android because of the New Android 17 joining the Mix?

I guess these 2 can't be really answered... that's what you get for overthinking something that's not supposed to be questioned at all anfd just watched as "if they say it is that way, it us that way." 😅

But yeah, don't mix Cyborgs and Androids.🧐

Remember, you may call an Android a Robot and still be correct, but calling a Cyborg a Robot is NOT correct.

Hope you enjoyed the read, even if I pseudo derailed it with DBZ 😅