As science continues to push past all barriers of what humans previously thought was possible, the human imagination is constantly fascinated with its progress. This fascination can be found over and over again in literature and popular culture, where robots and other pieces of technology quickly and frequently became central fixtures. With science advancing everyday, it’s no wonder that robots have become just another avenue to tell rich stories. Below are five of the more famous and fun robots that have graced television and the movies over the years.

1. The Robot from Lost in Space.

Best known for its incredibly quotable line, “Danger, Will Robinson, danger!”, this robot was a charming and bizarre sort of Lassie to the directionally challenged Robinson family. Armed with super strength and some fun weapons, this robot nevertheless often displayed human-like tendencies, like sadness and laughter.

2. Rosie from The Jetsons.

Another holdover from a time when technology was seen as a generally wonderful thing, Rosie is an endearing house robot that serves the Jetson family. She is outdated, but beloved by the family much like a pet. A believer in strict discipline and the occasional bit of sage advice, Rosie is a silly bit of fun that entranced children everywhere.

3. The Daleks.

First seen in the 1963 Doctor Who serial entitled The Daleks, these fearsome robotic creatures that resemble trashcans with plungers attached to them have become the longest running scifi villains of all time. They are perhaps the first time that technology was portrayed as a potentially bad thing, showing that the very definition of a robot is something that has no humanity.

4. The Terminator.

Going through four movie incarnations and a television show, the Terminator is actually an entire mythos created by the 1984 movie. Often acting as an agent of the nefarious robotic SkyNet, the Terminator is a nearly unstoppable machine often intent on nothing but the destruction of humankind. Though occasionally, good Terminators are also present, having been reprogrammed by someone in the future to help try and save the world, these fearsome robots show the true potential that robots have to be destructive instead of helpful and have us constantly asking ourselves how much technology is really too much?

5. Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Portrayed with brilliance by Brent Spiner, Data is a sentient android that serves as second officer and chief operations officer aboard the U.S.S.Enterprise. His brilliance at computation helped the crew in day to day tasks, but he often struggled with the nuances of human emotion and motivation. This character allowed the series to often reflect on what it means to be human. Later in the series, Data received an “emotion” chip that could let him experience some kind of simulation of human emotions. Ironically, this often only complicated matters and could even make Data an unreliable member of the crew when they needed him most.