I was thinking of this too.
Sometimes you want them a little more spread out so those AoE attacks aren't hitting them all...
@Sweet Chilli
I think the "rush in" has to do with the pets-powers. Robots and soldiers focused on range attacks while the other 2 are more melee wackers. Only once in a while 1 of my pets runs up to the mob and start (or try) to wack it, a quick passive follow swapto aggressive attack should help 
Unlikely they will add/fix anything about this, i just cope with it and adjust a bit to it (using 12 buttons of macro's of goto/follow/attack buttons).
I now have grant invis and using that to place my bots very carfully when im facing a boss (keep em in defensive mode prevent them from attacking). This way they attack from each side, AoE hits likely to hit all of them.
The bubble buffing is realy annoying, weird enough if you party another bots-MM your protector starts to bubble his/her pets too, even healing them (must be in their software i gues). Ok, not buffing a teammate is somehow fair (thats what /FF is for) but your own SK (or how its called in CoV) is just plain stupid.
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
From what I've seen about the protector bots, they buff you and any other hencie in the party, that includes the other types of hencies. What I don't like is that only 1 of the 2 protector bots buffs me while both buff the other hencies.
The fact that robots charge, I think, is due to the fact that they have an initial melee attack, and somehow they want to use it even though they are not in melee range. I see this as they sometimes charge forward and pausing to fire of a ranged attack.
i think they just need a software update 
I do wonder how the AI handles the recharge-time of the pet-powers, sometimes when they do their ranged shot (non-upgraded) they only have a melee power left. Even when the mob is standing face to face, the pet keeps waiting for the ranged shot to recharge instead of firing of the melee power (aka cancel current recharging power, fire off other power)
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
Could be something there with the running but I always buff the bot before action, and of he goes 
he does not always run in but far to often for me,
I am a control freak
A formation order around me ideally or where I say to go would be a much better fix as I have taken the Dark side to heal the little blighters I need them close for that to be effective.
Hello Devs
I little idea with Mastermind.
Formations!
I am getting a little fed up with my bots charging off to do battle when I say attack! I dont say go to . just attack, now if the bad guy comes to me or the pets fine but I dont want it charging off on its own cant heal or help if its to far away!
So a formation command would be nice so they circle either around me or a designated target I can say to gather round?
Buffs
My buff bot is buffing me . Great Lovely , nice .just an idea but it would be nice if it buffed my sidekick as well?
As hes under my protection so to speak?