automatens

Automatens is not a standard term in contemporary English or German. It may appear as a misspelling or as an inflected form in German texts where the base noun is Automat and the plural is Automaten. The correct plural in German is Automaten. In English, the closest standard term is automaton (a mechanical being) or automat (a self-serve restaurant), but automatens is uncommon.

Automat in German refers to an automatic device or machine, especially coin- or token-operated machines such as vending machines, ticket machines, or arcade games. The word is cognate with the English automaton and with the broader concept of automation.

The most famous use of the word in American popular culture was The Automat, a chain of self-serve restaurants operated by Horn & Hardart, which opened in the early 20th century and became a landmark of urban dining in cities such as Philadelphia and New York.

In modern usage, "Automaten" is the regular German plural for "Automat," while "automatens" appears only as an erroneous form or in rare dialectal or historical spellings. The term "automat" also appears in science fiction to describe mechanical beings or robotic automata.

Related terms include automation, automaton, and automatic devices.