For some reason, the whole idea of a robot gaining sentience just feels overdone to me when it comes to Disco.
We pretty much have an entire faction based around the idea (Harvesters)
If you want a robotic faction, I would actually suggest that you combine both humans and robots together. You could go the whole bionic enhancements way (Ala Mon'Star) but I was actually thinking more like a Single Human or multiple Humans who use robotic drones as minions.
Hordes of basic robots that are programmed specifically.
A few or one human leader/s.
While you would have the basic robots, you would also have command robots etc, relaying orders etc.
Basically like any RTS game. You are the human controlling all the units but the units themselves have some intelligence (Sometimes)
Or think CIS from Star Wars.
I think there is definately room for a group like that as no one has done it yet (The CS are somewhat like that, though more based around bionics etc) and I'd love to help out if possible.
EDIT: Oddly enough Sirius Robotics is about atm, it could be a source for these basic robots etc.