At the heart of every robot is a computer.  Although some may argue this is not a robot, Hal 9000 took control of the ship.  In essence, the ship became his body.  Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey" demonstrates the possibilities of disaster caused by placing too much power and faith in the machine.  Man can never create a machine with a real conscience or awareness, just simulations (in my humble opinion).

Links:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Toby Braun's Hal 9000 Emulator!