I've heard of "Von Neuman" machines but knew nothing about them. I modeled the idea of the Shiva on an experimental machine the US military developed to get supplies to troops in remote location- it finds its own fuel and will even steal fuel from other sources, such as diesel trucks, in-ground storage tanks, etc. But that machine doesn't 'destroy and recycle' to get its fuel and no, I don't want Shivas that can replicate- that's too much like a story I watched on Black Mirror in which robotic 'dogs' had multiplied on their own and killed off everyone they could find. They also networked to bring in othrr 'dogs' from miles away when a human was found.

Just too creepy for me (not that the Shivas aren't, as well) but at least Shivas have safety protocols in place that, unfortunately, can be hacked and changed. There will be a lot more from Shivas soon.