In the world of director Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie, robots are common place. The police use them just like any other piece of equipment. But even within this world, there’s no robot quite like Chappie-- an inquisitive yet child-like anomaly who isn’t just smart, but seems to possess a soul as well.

Unfortunately, in our real world, robots aren’t nearly as common place, or sophisticated, as they are in the movies. They're getting better and better every year, however, so we decided to look back on some of our favorite movie robots and see just how close we are to them in the real world.

 

Chappie (2015): Chappie

The robots in Chappie are humanoid servants that exist to serve mankind. Based on the trailer, they primarily seem to be used by the police to aid in controlling dangerous situations. They're like Robocop, only without the human part.


 

Real Robot: HRP-2

Of all the robots that have hit show floors over the years, HRP-2 looks the closest to the droids in Chappie thanks to the thin body and the sharp, angled ears. However, as impressive as they are, they're still slow and steady. You're not going to be busting any crime syndicates with these by your side any time soon.

 

Aliens (1986): Power Loader

Let’s a user, Ellen Ripley, wear it like a suit, enabling them to lift cargo that no normal human could lift otherwise. Also lets a human battle, and ultimately destroy, a xenomorph queen.

 

Real Robot: Activelink’s Dual-Arm Power Amplification Robot

There are several companies trying to build a mechanized lifter like the one in Aliens, but the Panasonic-owned company Activelink may be the closest. They’re actively trying to develop a machine that’ll turn anybody into a superman, and are getting closer every year.

 

 

Short Circuit (1986): Johnny 5

Helps shy human programmers come out of their shell and talk to girls. Does household chores, protects small insects and reads very, very fast. Also gains sentience, and a sense of humor, when struck by lightning.

 

 

Real Robot: Rollin’ Justin

With motorized “feet,” two arms, a long, bendy torse, and a camera-equipped head, Rollin’ Justin may be the closest we have to a J-5. He can catch balls thrown at him, and do things like make coffee. It may be a while before he can help you figure out how to talk to girls, though.

 

 

Her (2013): Samantha

The aural personification of an operating system that can talk to you and help you sort out everything you need in life, including a girlfriend.

 

Real A.I.: Cortana by Microsoft

Most people probably think of Apple’s Siri when they think of a female-voiced Artificial Intelligence that serves as a personal assistance, but Microsoft’s Cortana has the slight edge since it’s going to be an integrated part of Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 10 operating system.

 

Interstellar (2014): TARS

Christopher Nolan’s space epic features a pair of notable robots in TARS, a robot who is more than happy to assist its human counterparts whenever needed-- especially if that means rushing in to conditions that no human could survive.

 

Real Robot: ATLAS

Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot may not look anything like the rectangular TARS. And it certainly doesn’t move with the speed of Nolan’s creation, but it is being built to be able to traverse very complex terrain in order to enter zones, such as those filled with nuclear radiation, to perform tasks that’d kill a normal human being.

 

Red Planet (2000) - AMEE

AMEE is an incredibly agile machine that can sprint all over the crazy terrain of Mars and sniff out any chemical compound it wants. Its goal is to make all of the scientist’s jobs easier, though it can easily attack humans, should someone instruct it to do so.

 

Real Robot: Big Dog

Built by Boston Dynamics, the same company behind Atlas, Big Dog is designed to at least pull off some of the seemingly impossible things AMEE does. Mainly, it’s built as a machine that can transport equipment and inventory from one place to the next by easily, and quickly, climbing over any number of different obstacles in its path. Plus, if talking sheer agility, just watch the uncanny way Big Dog stops itself from falling on ice.

 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) - Marvin
Marvin wants to help all of the humans, and aliens, around him, but the trouble is Marvin is also the universe’s most depressed robot. All he wants to do is mope and complain about his very existence.

 

Real Robot: The Most Beautiful Machine

The Most Beautiful Machine, an art project conceived by Claude Shannon, is a robot with the most simple function possible: It exists only to turn itself off as soon as someone turns it on. If only Marvin were this lucky.