Article
What drives the cost of a service robot?
The hardware is only part of the cost of a service robot. A deployment also involves surveying the venue, building and naming the map, integrating with existing systems, training staff and ongoing support. Those elements vary enormously by venue, which is why a single headline price tells a buyer very little.
Written by Hybot operations lead, Deployment and operations lead, Hyrcan-Tech · · 6 min read
The invoice is not the cost
Ask what a service robot costs and you will usually be told what the robot costs. Those are different questions, and the gap between them is where disappointing deployments come from.
Here is the full list of what a working deployment involves, so you can make any supplier — us included — itemise against it.
The lines that always exist
The hardware. Per unit, and it varies by model and capability. It is the most visible line and rarely the one that decides the outcome.
The site survey. Somebody walks the venue and establishes what is possible: route widths, thresholds, glass, lighting, where chargers can go, which areas must be excluded. Skipping this is the most expensive saving available, because every problem it would have found arrives later as an operational one.
Mapping and naming. The robot builds its map of the building and the places that matter are named — tables, the pass, docks. How that works is worth understanding before you agree who owns it, because somebody has to maintain it when the venue rearranges.
Charging infrastructure. Power where the chargers need to be, which is near the busiest run rather than wherever there is a spare socket — charger placement changes effective capacity.
Staff training. The interface is used mid-service by somebody carrying something. Training is short, and a deployment where nobody was trained is a deployment that quietly stops being used.
Support and updates. Ongoing. Ask what it covers, what response looks like, and who handles a hardware fault versus a software one.
The lines that sometimes exist
Integration. If the robot should react to your existing systems, that is work, and its size depends entirely on what those systems expose. Nobody can price this without looking.
Venue changes. Occasionally a route needs widening or a threshold ramping. Small, but better discovered at survey than after purchase.
Multi-site oversight. One venue runs on its own Core RMS. Several venues benefit from the central layer, which is a different scope.
Comparing quotes without being misled
Give both suppliers the same list and make them answer each line. Specifically:
- Who performs the survey, and is it included?
- Who maintains the map after go-live when the venue rearranges?
- What exactly does support cover, and what is chargeable?
- What happens when a unit needs physical service?
- Is multi-site management included, extra, or unavailable?
Two totals that look similar can describe very different scopes. The itemised list is the only way to see it.
What we will not publish
Our prices, because they depend on the above. Tell us about the venue and we will quote against it rather than against a package that may not fit.
Where to go next
- A method for calculating ROI
- How many robots does a restaurant need?
- Service robots in multi-floor buildings
Cluster hub: Smart robotic solutions.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't suppliers publish a price?
- Because the number that matters depends on unit count, venue layout and integration work, and a headline hardware figure omits most of it. A published price would be accurate for a venue nobody has, and would mislead every buyer who is not that venue.
What are the cost lines beyond the robot?
- Site survey, mapping and naming points of interest, any integration with existing systems, staff training, and ongoing support and updates. Charging infrastructure and occasionally small venue changes such as widening a route also appear, and are easy to forget when comparing quotes.
How do I compare two quotes fairly?
- Make both suppliers itemise the same list, including who does the survey, who maintains the map afterwards, what support covers and what happens when a robot needs service. Two quotes with different scopes are not comparable however similar the totals look.
Where this fits
This page is part of Smart robotic solutions: choosing and buying. If you are working through the topic in order, these are the neighbouring pages.
A method for calculating service robot ROI
Take the baseline before you buy. A practical method for measuring what a service robot actually changes, using your own numbers instead of a vendor's model.
How many robots does a restaurant need?
Fleet size follows trip length and trip frequency, not floor area. A method for sizing a deployment before anybody quotes you a number of units.
Service robots in multi-floor buildings
Lifts decide the shape of a multi-floor deployment. Per-floor maps, the survey question that matters most, and when a robot per floor is the better answer.
Take it further
If a question here applies to a venue you actually run, the specifics matter more than the general case.