U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men

The fictional corporation U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc. is the major manufacturer of robots in the 21st century in Isaac Asimov's "Robot" Series of novels and short stories.

U.S. Robots was founded in 1982 by Lawrence Robertson. Dr. Susan Calvin was the first, and for many years, the only robopsychologist at U.S. Robots, and is the main character in many of Asimov's short stories, usually dealing with robot problems in the laboratory. In other robot stories Greg Powell and Mike Donovan, field engineers for the company, try to solve robot issues in the field. The short stories also mention Alfred Lanning and Peter Bogert, the Directors of Research (first Lanning, and then Bogert) during Calvin's time at the corporation.

The physical location of the company is unclear. Ultimately, factories are established in many parts of the world, but in one story, "Robot AL-76 Goes Astray", the main factory is said to be located in Schenectady, New York (which implies a connection or allusion to the General Electric Corporation).

In "Catch that Rabbit", the company's unofficial motto is revealed to be "No employee makes the same mistake twice. He is fired the first time."

The factory of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men is the only place on Earth where robots are allowed to be present in an assembled condition. In fact it is difficult to see how this could have been achieved in practice, given the vast number of legal jurisdictions and locations that would have had to jointly agree to a total robot ban. Robertson, together with associates, are constantly trying to reverse what they call the "Frankenstein complex", and prove to the world that robots are in fact harmless. In one novel, however, Calvin suggests another approach: let people know of the danger, and so increase the thrill, and that way make the subject more demanded among the public. And in that way familiarise the robots and Mechanical Men of the corporation.

Under the name "U.S. Robotics", this company is also featured in "I, Robot", the 2004 Will Smith movie loosely inspired by Asimov's short story collection "I, Robot". Dr. Susan Calvin appears in this film in her role at U.S. Robotics as a specialist in robot psychology.

The modem manufacturer U.S. Robotics was named after this fictional corporation.

ee also

*List of fictional companies