I was just reading about a US soldier in the 60s, who broke his back during a parachuting accident. While he was in hospital he read Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers, and (quite understandably) developed a fascination with the Mobile Infantry Power Suits. He wrote to the military with designs for his own powered exoskeleton, which he called the Lifesuit. Although it took almost four decades, the Lifesuit is now a real thing.
Anyway, this set me off wondering:
How many engineers and makers out there have been inspired by popular sci-fi and fictional robots when it came to new projects? Even if you haven't started work on such a project, which famous robots have given you ideas for new creations?
I made a motorised, shoulder-mounted Predator gun out of Robotix when I was a kid Does that count?
(Remember Robotix?)