What makes a terminator a cyborg?

Question

I was always under the impression that a cyborg was a being, partially robotic partially flesh. Wikipedia backs me up here:

A cyborg, short for "cybernetic organism", is a being with both biological and artificial (e.g. electronic, mechanical or robotic) parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space.

In another question & answer session here on SE, a comment alerted me to the point that Terminator's always refer to themselves as cyborgs. I'm aware they have 'organic disguise layer'. But is that truly enough to consider them cyborgs?

Answer 1

It is the combination of living and mechanical components that makes them cyborgs. The outer-tissue is also interactive with the endoskeleton inside. As the Terminator from Terminator 2 says: “I sense injuries. The data could be called pain.” Implying a bio-mechanical feedback from the skin to the CPU.

The Terminators are also always called cybernetic organisms. From the movie transcripts:

Terminator 1: Reese: Not a robot. A cyborg - cybernetic organism.

Terminator 2: T-8xx: I'm a cybernetic organism. Living tissue over a metal endoskeleton.

Terminator 3: T-8xx: T-X is designed to terminate other cybernetic organisms.

Terminators that would be considered cyborgs would be:

• T-8xx series.
• Marcus Wright (T-RIP / T-700 / Hybrid Models)
• Cameron Phillips (series TOK715?)

Cameron Phillips (from the Sarah Connor Chronicles) is the only Terminator to ever be shown to eat something. She also had functioning tearducts, and can feel heat and wind on her skin.

While they have blood and skin it isn't the same as normal human tissue. In the Sarah Connor Chronicles and Terminator Salvation there is a comment that the Terminator's flesh heals at a much quicker rate than normal humans. Cromartie is also shown to have procured eyes from a living person. He was not able to artificially make eyes for his outer-layer.

In contrast the following Terminators are not considered to be cyborgs:

• T-1
• T-600
• T-1000 / T-1001
• T-X

Answer 2

The skin isn't the only organic part to certain models. I managed to find this from wikipedia, cited from a novelised-script that pre-dates the first film:

"It's called a cyborg really. Cybernetic organism. A machine put together with a living thing. The skin, and some layers under it, the hair, the surface of the eyes, and the inside of the mouth... all that stuff's human tissue, genetically designed for the cyborgs. But underneath it's all steel and titanium. Hydraulic actuators instead of muscles. Controlled by a microcomputer. It has to eat and breathe to keep the skin alive, though a lot less than us... and there's a little tiny heart and internal organs about the size of a chicken's in a recessed compartment."

As unlikely as it sounds, each T-8* series seems to have tiny organs just for the skin.

I don't think the other models without skin count as cyborgs though.

Answer 3

I don't know why the others here that said the same thing as I'm about to say gained negativity, but it doesn't matter what they call Terminators in the movies if you want to know what they really are defined as in real life.

A cyborg is born human (or other living species) that was turned cybernetic whether the changes were small or completely changing of the living being into a robot. An android was not born human, is not living truly real "life," and is a robot built to resemble and act as if they were a living species like humans.

^That's how it is in most modern pop-culture.

In Terminator they are defined as cyborgs. In real life by real common-use, anything like them would usually be referred to as androids, or simply robots because there isn't any real good definitive line as to when a robot can also be considered human-like enough to also be an android.

Answer 4

A cyborg is a living biological entity with artificial parts which is therefore has a enhanced with there abilities are basically mechanical or electronic devices, also a human with a bionic implants or mechanical body parts.

An android is a artificial created being in human form that is made to resembling a human with skin covered an organic materials.

The Terminator is not a cyborg, in other hand is basically an android that moves usually an animatronic or self-moving machine to sent him off an mission to kill sarah connor.

Answer 5

Terminators are androids, not cyborgs. Terminators are the killing machines with living tissue over robotic endoskeleton with organic marital. Cyborgs are living organisms with a robotic or mechanical parts. Androids are robots that are made to look and act like human beings or a human-like characteristic in form.