Drone

The "caterpillars". (COMIC: The Good Soldier ^[+]Loading...["The Good Soldier (comic story)"])

The term of "drone" was applied to a variety of autonomous machines, often designed for a specific function and without much in the way of individuality or true intelligence.

Instances

Machinery

Sontaran recon drones were remote-controlled hovering devices, primarily outfitted with a variety of sensors but also equipped with automated weaponry, allowing a drone to protect itself if discovered. (GAME: The Legions of Death ^[+]Loading...["The Legions of Death (game)"])

Robotic drones used by humans to construct Bowie Base One when it was lowered in sections from orbit on Mars. (TV: The Waters of Mars ^[+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (TV story)"])

Robot drones were used in the Terminus station to collect the victims of Lazar's disease and to sterilise their vessels. (TV: Terminus ^[+]Loading...["Terminus (TV story)"])

Robot drones constructed buildings on the planet Messaline while the human and Hath settlers waited in their ship. When they finished construction, the settlers moved in shortly before fighting. (TV: The Doctor's Daughter ^[+]Loading...["The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)"])

Among the medical amenities of Battle TARDISes were medi-drones, autonomous drones capable of administering the correct dosage of a drug. (AUDIO: Eye of Harmony ^[+]Loading...["Eye of Harmony (audio story)"])

A British Army unit that intercepted the Reconnaissance Dalek misidentified it as an "unknown drone". (TV: Resolution ^[+]Loading...["Resolution (TV story)"])

Organic drones

A series of drones were modified by Davros. (PROSE: An Incident Concerning the Continual Bombardment of the Phobos Colony ^[+]Loading...["An Incident Concerning the Continual Bombardment of the Phobos Colony (short story)"])

In the mid-20th century, the CyberMondans used caterpillar-like creatures which Ace identified as "drones". (COMIC: The Good Soldier ^[+]Loading...["The Good Soldier (comic story)"]) Their counterparts in the Cyberiad made use of cybermites, (TV: Nightmare in Silver ^[+]Loading...["Nightmare in Silver (TV story)"]) while the Cybermen of the Cyber-Empire used cyber-drones. (TV: Ascension of the Cybermen ^[+]Loading...["Ascension of the Cybermen (TV story)"])

The basic Dalek units were referred to as Dalek drones. (GAME: City of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["City of the Daleks (video game)"])