Android

Also known as a synthetic or replicant robot, an android is an artificial being constructed to resemble a natural organism so perfectly their behaviour is nearly indistuingishable. While some androids only resemble their models externally, others have been designed to even include fully functional artificial organs and a circulatory system.

The line between robots and androids is often blurred, especially if androids are fitted with cybernetic implants. The key difference is that while robots are most often purpose built to perform a certain task ill-suited for a living organism, androids are built to perform all kinds of tasks including those that usually require the presence of living, sentient beings.

A further question that arises is whether species like the Trentads or the Mechanoids should be considered androids, robots, or living organisms. This debate is mostly philosophical however, as all answers are technically correct on some level.

Personality

It would be unfair to say that Androids have no personality. It just happens that their personalities, programmed as they are, tend to be very mechanical, analytical and coldly logical (particularly when an individual android has just been activated). The longer a unit remains in operation, though, the more quirks it tends to develop.

There are some androids that have been known to develop a sense of humor, some that have created some striking artwork and music, and others that are very morose and depressing. These quirks develop due to the development of an android's learning neural net beyond its peripheral programming as it acquires more memories over time. Rather than reprogramming such models, most of society welcomes androids with such quirks. This is for two main reasons: first, wiping an Android's personality effectively ends the life of an individual Android, even though a new personality may be installed and the same body used. Secondly (and this is the main reason), any prefer a quirky Android. It just makes life all the more interesting.

See also

• Robots
  
• Mechanoids
  
• Trentads
  
• Servitors (Bacterian androids)