History Main / EatingMachine

* {{Doraemon}} needs to eat to function like a human and his favorite food is dorayaki.

* Kryten of ''Series/RedDwarf'' doesn't ''normally'' eat or drink, but it turns out that Mamosian cuisine, including the telepathic wine, is suitable for droids. An earlier episode has him consuming a beverage especially designed to function on droids like alcohol does on a human system.

* In general, nearly every video game that features both biological and mechanical protagonists and food- or drink-based power-ups is subject to this. Examples include ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', ''[[{{Persona3}} Persona 3]]'', ''[[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', etc.

* In general, nearly every video game that features both biological and mechanical protagonists and food- or drink-based power-ups is subject to this. Examples include ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', ''{{Pokemon}}'', ''[[{{Persona3}} Persona 3]]'', ''[[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', etc.

* Data in ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' can consume food and drink to appear more human and put others at ease. He also appears to have taste buds; when he gets his emotion chip in ''StarTrekGenerations'', he realises he "hates" a certain drink.

* Kryten of ''RedDwarf'' doesn't ''normally'' eat or drink, but it turns out that Mamosian cuisine, including the telepathic wine, is suitable for droids. An earlier episode has him consuming a beverage especially designed to function on droids like alcohol does on a human system.

* In general, nearly every video game that features both biological and mechanical protagonists and food- or drink-based power-ups is subject to this. Examples include ''ChronoTrigger'', ''{{Pokemon}}'', ''[[{{Persona3}} Persona 3]]'', ''[[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', etc.

* ''{{Futurama}}'': Bender (and all robots) is designed to run off booze. This doesn't stop him from getting drunk or being an alcoholic, though. (Actually, Bender only gets drunk if he ''doesn't'' drink alcohol.)
* Subversion in ''MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'': Trying to fit in with her new human friends Jenny eats an ice cream cone (in one bite) but as soon as they look away she opens a door in her chest and throws the ice cream away.

* Isaac in ''TheDarkSideOfTheSun'' can "derive power from the calorific content of organic substances", and even seems to have a bit of a palate when it comes to alcohol.

* ''AllPurposeCulturalCatgirlNukuNuku'': Nuku Nuku is a cyborg housing only a rescued kitten's brain (and maybe some other organs), but she eats just like a normal teenage girl would. Well, with some feline preferences.

* In general, nearly every video game that features both biological and mechanical protagonists and food- or drink-based power-ups is subject to this. Examples include ''ChronoTrigger'', ''{{Pokemon}}'', ''[[{{Persona3}} Persona 3]]'', ''[[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]], etc.

* In general, nearly every video game that features both biological and mechanical protagonists and food- or drink-based power-ups is subject to this. Examples include ''ChronoTrigger'', ''{{Pokemon}}'', ''[[{{Persona3}} Persona 3]]'', etc.

* Many ''{{Pokémon}}'' that appear (and are) mechanical can use the odd food based healing item.
* Aegis of ''{{Persona 3}}'' is another example of a robot party member that can use food based items.

* In Isaac Asimov's ''CavesOfSteel'', R. Daneel Olivav is a human-shaped android who can "consume" food and drink to imitate a human. He actually stores the food in a bag within his stomach which he regularly empties. He even offers the food from the bag to his human friend, explaining that it's untouched and fit for consumption. The human obviously refuses.

* Cyborg from ''TeenTitans'' is a BigEater. Justifiable, as he's not entirley machine.

* In Isaac Asimov's ''CavesOfSteel'', R. Daneel Olivav is a human-shaped android who can "consume" food and drink to imitate a human. He actually stores the food in a bag within his stomach which he regularly empties. (He even offers the food from the bag to his human friend, explaining that it's untouched and fit for consumption.)

* Cyborg from ''TeenTitans'' is a BigEater.

* In Isaac Asimov's ''CavesOfSteel'', R. Daneel Olivav is a human-shaped android who can "consume" food and drink to imitate a human. He actually stores the food in a bag within his stomach which he regularly empties. (He even offers the food from the bag to his friend, explaining that it's untouched and fit for consumption.)

* Isaac in ''TheDarkSideOfTheSun'' can "derive power from the calorific content of organic substances", and even seems to have a bit of a palette when it comes to alcohol.

Many robots that can eat food also have a distinct preference, whether it be for something that's easy for their system to convert to energy or whether it be just the same tasty junk foods that humans love. Alcohol and sweets are popular for both reasons.

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* Played with in ''{{Bionicle}}''. The Matoran were shown fishing and there was mention of food in the first few years of the story, but the characters were never seen eating the food. Since Matoran must wear their masks at all times and wouldn't be able to put food into their mouths, this resulted in a large dose of FridgeLogic... until it was revealed that they consume food by absorbing it through ''[[BizarreAlienBiology the palms of their hands]]''.

[[folder:Video Games]

This is very common for a RidiculouslyHumanRobot who may need to eat food to maintain TheMasquerade, but it's certainly not limited to that trope. Some robots consume food as a power source ([[TruthInTelevision Calories powering machines is something exists in the real world, though in very early stages]]) either for convenience (or rarely for horror). Other robots may eat food they have no way of processing and no logical need for as pure RuleOfFunny hedonism and to anthropomorphize otherwise non-human machines. Despite being unable to digest food, don't be surprised if caffeine, sugar, or alcohol still somehow affects a robot's behavior.

This is very common for a RidiculouslyHumanRobot who may need to eat food to maintain TheMasquerade, but it's certainly not limited to that trope. Some robots consume food as a power source either for convenience (or rarely for horror). Other robots may eat food they have no way of processing and no logical need for as pure RuleOfFunny hedonism and to anthropomorphize otherwise non-human machines. Despite being unable to digest food, don't be surprised if caffeine, sugar, or alcohol still somehow affects a robot's behavior.

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* In ''The Positronic Man'' co-written by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg (and based off of Asimov's short story ''Bicentennial Man'') a robot eventually upgrades himself with a device that converts food to energy.

* Data in ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' can consume food and drink to appear more human and put others at ease. He also appears to have tastebuds; when he gets his emotion chip in ''StarTrekGenerations'', he realises he "hates" a certain drink.
* The 'Bots on ''{{MST3K}}'' are like this, especially [[ExtremeOmnivore Gypsy.]]