Robot

A Robot is a mechanical being created to make life easier on the Twelve Colonies. Robots are a type of, but distinguished from cybernetic life-forms like the later, more advanced Cylons.

Graystone Industries robots

Robot servants

Serge, the Graystone Family robot servant.

Robotic servants, like the Graystone Family's Serge, existed in colonies like Caprica as early as 58 years prior to the Fall. These servant robots were non-humanoid in construction, distinguished by a rounded shape and single, circular eye. Robot servants were able to remotely control functions within the household, including operating doors and automatic sports umpires. They acted as butlers for their human masters, greeting guests and authorizing them for entry or - if necessary - denying them clearance to enter. Speaking in friendly tones, these robot servants were capable of recognizing individuals by sight (Caprica pilot).

Test robots

Units similar to the servant-type robots were in operation at Graystone Industries on Caprica. More boxy than the servant models, these robots also possessed only one eye, though these were square in shape and lighted red. These units were also painted in varying colors including blue and metallic gray. Unlike the servant model, these robots possessed retractable arms (Caprica pilot).

Spoiler follows, highlight to read.

Several of this type of robot were used in independent identification, acquisition, resolution and execution of conflict evaluations for Graystone Industries' Cyber Combat Unit. While initial tests only involved one such robot, exchanging paintball fire with the Combat Unit, later, more successful tests of the robot soldier involved the deployment of real firearms. These test robots were outfitted with projectile weapons and deployed in a fire fight with the prototype soldier (Caprica pilot).

Cyber Combat Unit

The Cyber Combat Unit was a robotic body built by Graystone Industries in a competition with the Vergis Corporation for a long term Caprican Defense Department contract. A billion cubits over budget and five years over schedule, the robot soldier concept had initial difficulties in independent identification, acquisition, resolution and execution of conflict evaluations. This robot soldier was humanoid in design, with a single scanning "eye" colored yellow by design (Caprica pilot).

Spoiler follows, highlight to read.

It was not until the installation of the stolen Meta-Cognitive Processor, engineered by the Vergis Corporation, that the Cyber Combat Unit met expectations and earned Graystone Industries its defense contract. With the MCP active, the Cyber Combat Unit's eye would turn red and it would become capable of complex brain activity. This processor combined with data downloaded from a holographic avatar allowed Daniel Graystone to transfer the consciousness of his deceased daughter Zoe into the U-87 model of the Cyber Combat Unit. Dubbed a Cybernetic Life-form Node by Graystone, this android was the first of what would become the Cylon race (Caprica pilot).

Cylons

Cylon War-era Centurion

Model Name: Cylon Centurion

Main article: Cylon Centurion Model 0005

Modern Centurion

Main article: Cylon Centurion

Earth Centurion models

Following the Fall of the Twelve Colonies a combined Human/Cylon fleet arrived at Earth to discover it a barren ruin. An excavation of artifacts and fossils of the 2,000 year old wasteland uncovered the remains of several Cylon Centurion-like robots scattered throughout the planet. Although similar in design to Cylon War-era Centurions, these robots were not constructed by the Cylon race and represented the creation of the Thirteenth Tribe, a Cylon tribe, who were themselves overthrown by their robotic slaves ("Sometimes a Great Notion").

Notes

Serge and his fellow robots were not given descriptive names in the pilot script of Caprica. While Serge himself was simply referred to as a "cylindrical robot servant", other robots appearing in the episode were simply referred to as "Serge-like robots".
These robots featured notably Cylon-like features including the single, red eye and grill-like "mouth".