Robot workbench

The robot workbench, also known as the Custom Robotic Assembly Platform or CRAP, is a new crafting station introduced in Automatron, allowing players to create and modify robots. The workbench is a RobCo product.

Overview
The workbench allows the player to customize robots: Codsworth, Ada, or create new ones (called Automatrons). Each robot can be modified by changing its slots, much like power armor. There are six slots: Head, torso, left arm, right arm, legs, and the overall paintjob.

Robots
Robot companions can be upgraded and new robots can be built. Parts can be mixed and matched within a single robot to optimize certain characteristics.

Robots can help defend settlements and can be assigned to guard posts. They don't need to sleep, so they will remain on duty longer than settlers. Robots still have off-duty time, but settlers have both off-duty time and sleep time.

Protectron
You have schematics to build a complete Protectron.


 * Head: Medium engagement distance. Reduced accuracy.
 * Torso: Standard.
 * Arms: Superior carrying capacity. Reduced melee damage.
 * Legs: Improved carrying capacity.


 * Although Protectron arms say they provide "reduced melee damage", the UI shows no change in a robot's melee damage when switching between Assaultron and Protectron arms. This seems to be a UI bug. Each Protectron arm reduces the robot's melee damage by 10%.
 * Protectrons are the least expensive robot (especially since all new "automatrons" start as one), and the Protectron head is better for ranged weapons than the Assaultron head. Consider using these to stand at guard posts, where their slow movement speed won't be a hindrance and they can fire at range.

Weapons designed for Protectrons, and thus capable of using Protectron hand armor:

The Protectron Cryojet used on the firefighting model, with the appearance of a Protectron Claw and which has hand armor, is not listed. There is a cryojet weapon, but it has a cone shape and cannot use hand armor.

Acquirable Schematics (Spoilers):

Mr. Handy
You have schematics to build a complete Mr. Handy.


 * Head: None
 * Eyes: Long engagement distance. Improved accuracy.
 * Torso: Superior movement speed.
 * Arms: None, but can have arms from other robots added.
 * Thruster Arms: Improved melee damage.
 * Legs: Exceptional movement speed.


 * Normally, two of the thruster arms can be equipped with a Pincer, Saw, Flamer, or Laser, and the third can only be equipped with a Pincer or Saw. Having multiple of the same item, two lasers for example, does not result in the robot firing both lasers. Instead, it fires one laser twice as fast. Adding regular arms removes the ability of the thruster arms to equip flamers or lasers, but they can still use pincers or saws. The regular arms can also equip much more powerful lasers than the thruster arms can.
 * When equipped with no melee weapons at all (which unfortunately includes pincers), a Mr. Handy will attempt to back away from approaching enemies (aka "kiting"). As the fastest robot, this can be quite effective in outdoor environments. When equipped with a mix of melee and ranged, a Mr. Handy will typically stand its ground. As with all robots, it will charge when only equipped with melee weapons.

Acquirable Schematics (Spoilers):

Assaultron
You have schematics to build some parts of an Assaultron.


 * Head: Short engagement distance. Poor accuracy.
 * Torso: Improved health.
 * Arms: Superior melee damage. Reduced carrying capacity. No schematic for right arm (yet?).
 * Legs: No schematic (yet?).


 * Although Assaultron arms say they provide "superior melee damage", the UI shows no change in a robot's melee damage when switching between Assaultron and Protectron arms. This seems to be a UI bug. Each Assaultron arm increases the robot's melee damage by 10%.
 * The "short engagement distance" means that the robot will move into close range, regardless of what weapons it's equipped with.

Acquirable Schematics (Spoilers):

Robobrain
You don't start with any schematics for this robot.

Acquirable Schematics (Spoilers):

Sentry Bot
You don't start with any schematics for this robot.

Acquirable Schematics (Spoilers):

Looting Mods
Robot parts can be looted from fallen enemy robots. The robots you face and their armor and weapons are determined by your level. At low levels, random Rust Devil and Mechanist encounters have no chance of dropping parts, just junk to break down for resources. Automatron (DLC) quest locations are guaranteed to drop certain parts. The really cool thing is that finding new parts also unlocks new schematics, allowing you to build more.

Note that enemy robots will not drop parts they do not have. At low levels, enemy robots don't have any armor, so they have zero chance of dropping armor. Gain some levels and enemy robots with armor will start showing up.

Robot weapons do not drop, so there's no way to get them without unlocking the required perks.

Robot Companions
Upgrading your companions is always a wise investment. Some initial observations:

Codsworth

 * Codsworth is initially missing an armor piece on his middle thruster arm that can be added.
 * He can be given storage armor for his head and torso for increased carrying capacity, if desired.
 * See Mr. Handy section above regarding weapons.

Ada

 * Ada initially has no armor on her Protectron legs.
 * Her head armor can be upgraded to "Hardened" with no perks required.
 * She can, actually, use hand armor, just not with either of the weapons she starts with.
 * She has a Sentry Bot right arm, but you don't know the schematic to build more.
 * Consider giving her a Protectron head if you want to equip ranged weapons in both arms.

Curie

 * Curie's armor is already as good as it can be when the workbench is first acquired.
 * She can be given storage armor for her head and torso for increased carrying capacity, if desired.
 * She can quickly be given a second laser for twice the rate of fire (with Science! 1).
 * See Mr. Handy section above regarding weapons.

Locations

 * A robot workbench can be found at the The Mechanist's Lair, which can later be used as a settlement.

Apperances
The robot workbench appears in the Fallout 4 add-on Automatron and makes an unusable apperance in Fallout 76 as a part of the Wild Appalachia content series in Van Lowe Taxidermy.