Real Gear Robots are a type of Transformer in the live-action movie continuity family.

Real Gear Robot is a catchall term for Earth machinery brought to life as Transformers by the All Spark in the movie continuity family. The term originates with the "Real Gear Robots" sub-line of Movie toys, which features Transformers created from real Terran consumer electronics brought to life in this manner and defines itself with the quote given above.

For lack of a better alternative, Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki is currently using the same term to refer to the numerous other non-toyline robots created in this manner, which appeared in the film itself and in ancillary materials and promotions. This is not an official or even widespread usage, but they fit the description given above, even if it's hard to consider a car "gear". Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki considers this terminology temporary until another term is found or agreed upon.

French term: Techno-Robots

Spanish term: Robots Aparatos

Toyline[]

Fiction[]

Though the Real Gear Robots toys were released (presumably as part of the Hungry Dragon counter-information campaign) to expand on the brief appearance of similar robots in the movie, many Real Gear Robots appear to predate the March 16, 2006 cessation of Sector Seven's experiments on the All Spark.^[1] It is unclear if they were deliberately created by Sector Seven before this and escaped, or perhaps were an unintended result of the Allspark's "area-effect."

Toys[]

Living machines[]

The All Spark cube can emit radiation that spontaneously brings to life machinery and electronics which are exposed to it. It does not do so continuously, but agents working for Sector Seven eventually learned to activate and even channel these pulses of radiation in their base under Hoover Dam. The cube also emitted a pulse when dropped by Sam Witwicky as he fled from Decepticons in Mission City.

Transformers which have just been created from Earth machines by the All Spark appear to be almost mindless; alive but without concept of the world-- and often feral. Judging from what we know about some of these robots (see "Toyline" section above) it appears that they can have full sentience. It is unknown what causes this difference. (See "Personalities", below.)

Known Real Gear Robots[]

Possible Real Gear Robots[]

These Transformers seem to be likely candidates, but their actual origins remain unknown:

• Appliancebots
  • Ejector
• AX9-8946-09SU-1
• Dewbot
• Dispensor, the Mountain Dew Robot
• "Samuraï" Nokia cellphone
• Scalpel
• Steering Wheel Robot
• Xbox 360
• Wheelie

Not Real Gear Robots[]

• Frenzy, even though he transforms into "real gear."

Sometimes thought to be Earth-born, the following Transformers are known to have alien origins (the drones arrive on Earth in "cometary" transition form), and therefore were not animated by the All Spark on Earth:

• Longarm
• Dropkick
• Dreadwing
• Swindle
• Mixmaster
• Payload
• Scrapper

Personalities[]

All the Real Gear Robots in the 2007 film appear to be evil little beasts. Screenwriter Roberto Orci has offered some potential explanations for this both at BotCon 2007 and on the official movie forum, but as usual is careful not to make any declarations. Orci wrote in response to one fan's query, "It is meant to power Cybertron, not adapt human technology. Also, since all earth's tech is reverse engineered from Megatron, maybe that affects the outcome, too."[1] He also wrote, "Prime intended to use the Allspark to repower Cybertron as it was intended. Megatron wants to abuse it by creating Transformers directly, which makes souless, primal Transformers."[2]

Both of these statements contain plausible explanations for the violence and hostility observed in the behavior of the robots in the film itself, but they do not make allowances for the fully-developed personas observed in the Real Gear Robots toyline and other supporting material. A possible solution is that these may take place in different continuities than the film itself, such that the All Spark may operate a bit differently. Alternatively, it could be that -- given enough time -- an Earth machine animated by the All Spark might eventually develop consciousness. Or, perhaps not all robots are created equal. It could simply be that, while most are feral, some are not.

A final explanation can be taken from a mission in Transformers: Autobots. When the Autobots attempt to retrieve the All Spark, it produces drones from the local machinery to defend itself. As such, the All Spark-created transformers may have been feral as a survival mechanism.

Titan Magazines[]

Real Gear Robots contain solidified All Spark energy in their chests that resemble small, red All Spark cubes.

The living machines continued to run amok in Mission City until Starscream began killing them and taking their energy for his own purposes. Transformers Comic issue 7

Notes[]

• The Real Gear Robots toyline is the long-in-coming return of "mechanical device" transformers along the lines of the original Perceptor and Reflector, whose alt modes are all common hand-held electric devices.

• The Real Gear Robots toys were created at Hasbro in line with the designs of the Cybertron franchise that ran through 2005 into the first half of 2006. Their release was held back, and this resulted in serendipity with the Movie marketing blitz, since cell phones and other electronic devices become Transformers in the film.^[2] Evidence of this can be seen on the stickers of several "first-use" molds, which have Cybertron-series characters on them. (Later redecoes of these molds were given different stickers, with movie characters on them. The Japanese versions released by TakaraTomy, on the other hand, had the Cybertron-based stickers replaced with Movie-based stickers from the get-go.)

• None of the Real Gear Robots that appeared in the movie were in the leaked script except the Xbox 360 robot. The ones in the film were a Nokia phone, a Mountain Dew vending machine, a steering wheel and an Xbox 360. In the script, they were an iPod, devices in a truck and plasma televisions.

References[]