How Robots That Swap Out Their Own Parts Will Adapt to the World on the Fly

The science fiction multiverse is well populated by all manner of robots. Pick your favorite: Dr. Who fans may favor K9, the Time Lord's mechanical mutt. Maybe the Transformers represent the coolest robots in the galaxy. The more literary-minded might prefer a character like R. Daneel Olivaw out of the Asimov universe. Those of us from a certain generation, however, will always have an affection for the Laurel and Hardy of robots--C-3PO and RD-D2.