R. Daneel Olivaw

R. Daneel Olivawis a fictionalrobotcreated byIsaac Asimov. The "R" initial in his name stands for "Robot," a naming convention in Asimov's future society during Earth's early period ofspace colonization. Daneel is introduced inThe Caves of Steel, a serialized story published inGalaxy Science Fictionfrom October to December 1953. The full story was published byDoubledayas a hardcover book in 1954.
In his introduction story, Daneel is said to be not only made in the likeness of one of his creators but is also the first robot physically indistinguishable from humans.  Like other robots in Asimov's stories, his "positronic brain" is governed by theThree Laws of Robotics.Daneel's particular brain and system are more advanced than the average robot.He can convincingly mimic human behavior and reactions, is better able to adapt and evolve through increased knowledge and experience, and can perform "cerebroanalysis", an ability defined as an "interpretation of the electromagnetic fields of living brain cells" that provides "information of the temperamental and emotional makeup of an individual."Asimov's concept of cerebroanalysis in 1953 predictedmagnetic resonance imaging(first demonstrated in 1973), and also its later (and currently debated) use to determine truthfulness or deceit.
Daneel is one of the two protagonists of Asimov'sRobotseries booksThe Caves of Steel(1953),The Naked Sun(1956), andThe Robots of Dawn(1983). In these books, he works with human detectiveElijah Baleyto solve unusual murders. Along with the murder mystery aspect, the stories focus on discussions regarding space exploration and human societal norms, and show an evolution in both the friendship developing between the two characters and Daneel's personal sense of morality.He and Elijah also appear in the short story "Mirror Image" (1972).
Daneel also appears inRobots and Empire(1985), a book that acts as a bridge between Asimov'sRobotseries and hisFoundationseries, the latter of which takes place during and after the age of the galaxy's First Empire. In the prequels and sequels to the originalFoundationtrilogy, a character is revealed to be Daneel now living under a different identity, meaning he has survived for thousands of years, living through the entire era of the First Empire and beyond. By this point, he has replaced much of his body with new hardware, though his mind still operates under the Three Laws of Robotics.
Daneel is a robot built byRoj Nemennuh SartonandHan Fastolfe, who are Spacerroboticistsfrom the planetAurora, in the year 4920 AD.Although designed and built by Auroran roboticists, Daneel was constructed on Earth. He is the first humanoid, or "humaniform," robot ever constructed and is outwardly indistinguishable from a human being. This "undercover" attribute enables him to helpNew York City PolicedetectiveElijah Baleysolve crimes. Daneel and Baley first meet while Baley is investigating the murder of Daneel's co-creator Sarton inSpacetown. Daneel is physically a perfect likeness of Dr. Sarton.
Daneel has a broad, high-cheekboned face and short bronze hair lying flatly backward and without a parting. He wears clothes and, inThe Caves of Steel, cannot be told apart from a human unless in a situation where he refuses to violate theThree Laws of Robotics, and even in this case is indistinguishable from a particularly altruistic person. InThe Caves of Steel, Daneel reveals that he has the capability to performcerebroanalysisenabling him to interpret the emotional makeup of human brain activity. InRobots and Empire,Daneel gains the ability to influence the mental state of other creatures, human or robot, and, presumably, animal.  Daneel gains this ability as a result of voluntary acceptance of reprogramming instructions fromR. Giskard Reventlov.
Daneel is introduced in the bookThe Caves of Steel, where he is tasked to assist Elijah Baley in the investigation of the murder of his creator, Roj Nemennuh Sarton. The book shows Earth's prejudice against robots, explaining why a humanoid robot was assigned to the case. Initially Baley is suspicious of Daneel and constructs two separate theories in which the Robot is responsible for the murder. The first supposition is that Daneel is in fact Sarton pretending to be a robot; the second supposition is that Daneel lacks the Three Laws. After both theories are disproven, Baley begins to feel a friendship with Daneel. At the same time, watching Baley gives Daneel a more nuanced view of justice, coming to understand that it is better to convert evil to good than to simply destroy evil.
Baley meets Daneel again inThe Naked Sun, in which he is sent to the Spacer planetSolariato investigate the murder of Rikaine Delmarre, the husband of Gladia Delmarre. The Solarians are not informed of Daneel's robotic nature, as a show ofAurora's superiority in the creation of robots. Daneel learns from Baley's methods of investigation in both books, which leads to him playing a larger role inThe Naked Sun.
Daneel also solves a case with Baley in Asimov's short story "Mirror Image". This story was written due to popular fan demand for another Baley/Daneel story. After it was written, Asimov was told by some fansthat they enjoyed it but had hoped for another novel.
Baley and Daneel's last case together takes place on Aurora in the novelThe Robots of Dawn.The murder victim is a humanoid robot, R. Jander Panell, who belonged to Gladia Delmarre and is physically similar to Daneel. Unknown to the public, Gladia and Jander had a sexual relationship and she secretly regarded the humanoid robot as her husband.
Baley's and Daneel's friendship grows with each novel, ultimately leading to Daneel being the first of only two robots to ever set foot on a Settler world, when Elijah Baley specifically asks to see him on his deathbed (R. Giskard being the second robot, many years later). Baley sends Daneel away immediately before dying, as witnessing his death would harm Daneel due to theFirst Law of Robotics. Baley's words to reassure Daneel about his death—explaining to him that he is a "mere thread in the vast tapestry of humanity"—assist Daneel in solidifying the Zeroth Law of Robotics.
Baley and the experiences Daneel had with him remain important to Daneel even thousands of years later. When asked about the now mythic figure of Baley (whose existence is now questioned), Daneel states that he was greater than any myth claimed him to be.
InRobots and Empire, whereAsimovlinks theRobotserieswith theEmpireseries, Giskard and Daneel often discuss the limitations of the Laws of Robotics, a process lengthened by the fact that their positronic pathways prevent thought along these lines, thus often leading to a temporary loss in the ability to talk or move. By the end of the book, when Daneel has formulated the Zeroth Law of Robotics ("A robot may not harm humanity, or through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm"), Giskard is the first robot to act according to this new law. However, the act of causing harm to a human being in violation of the First Law proves fatally destructive for Giskard, due to the uncertainty of whether or not his actions benefit humanity in the long run – he believes in the law but is unable to point a finger at "humanity" as he could at an individual human, to assess the benefit or harm done. Before deactivating completely, Giskard is able to transfer his powers of being able to read and influence minds to Daneel (by describing  the necessary circuits to be rewired in Daneel's brain). It is implied that Daneel's closer tie to humanity allows him to slowly adapt to the new law with far less risk of destruction.
Together Daneel and Giskard imagine the science of "psychohistory" or laws of humanics, that would enable them to execute the "Zeroth Law" in a quantitative sense. Thousands of years later this would be developed into practical application by mathematicianHari Seldon.
From that time onward, Daneel manipulates the galaxy with the help of his many robot allies. Hari Seldon's wifeDors Venabiliis the only one of Daneel's humanoid robot allies to be shown in the books. He sets up both theGalactic EmpireandGaiain order to create a society that does not need robots. Under the guise ofEto Demerzel, he becomes the First Minister to galactic Emperor Stanel VI andCleon I.
When Hari Seldon first comes toTrantorinPrelude to Foundation(1988), Daneel, under the guise of reporterChetter Hummin(a play on the words "cheater" and "human"), convinces Hari that the Galactic Empire is dying and that psychohistory must be developed into a practical science in order to save it. As Hummin, he convinces Seldon that Cleon's first minister Eto Demerzel is pursuing him and that it is imperative for Hari to escape and to try making psychohistory practical. He introduces Hari to Dors Venabili, who becomes Hari's friend, protector, and future wife. At the end of Seldon's "Flight" it is revealed that Hummin and Demerzel are actually the same person, and are both false identities of Daneel. Demerzel appears again inForward the Foundation(1993), first as the First Minister as he discusses with Seldon his progress and the Empire's future. Demerzel eventually steps down from his post and offers it to Seldon, and disappears. He later makes a brief appearance in the epilogue,  which says he was one of the many in attendance at Hari Seldon's funeral.
Daneel appears once more inFoundation and Earth(1986), whereGolan TrevizeandJanov Peloratfrom the Foundation eventually find the radioactive Earth and Daneel's base on theMoonand learn about hispaternalisticmanipulations, including the settlement ofAlpha Centauri, the creation of Gaia, and psychohistory.
Based on an independent timeline, Daneel was 19,230 years old during the events ofFoundation and Earth. Daneel is the longest-living Asimov character, as well as the longest living humanoid robot in that universe (being the first humanoid robot created). He is theoretically immortal, because he is a robot. However, his parts need replacing, including his brain, and he eventually has to use a biological brain, as his own becomes more complex each time he replaces it. Daneel mentions that the more complex his brains become, the more fragile they are. At the end of the book, he intends fusing his brain with that of a Solarian, as it has reached the point where an upgrade is no longer possible. Daneel's original brain had lasted 10,000 years, approximately half his lifetime. In contrast, his final brain, which was thousands of times more advanced than his first, showed signs of shutting down after only 600 years.