A component index needs a stable system boundary
Robot hardware is often classified by vendor department, component shape or a familiar headline category. Those classifications break when a procurement or integration question crosses electrical, mechanical and software boundaries. RCI uses five linked layers so a part can be understood both on its own and inside a complete machine.
A · Motion & Actuation
Joints, drives, transmissions, motors and feedback—normalized at the test-condition level.
Initial comparison questions: continuous / peak torque conditions; backlash and transmission error; thermal duty cycle; mechanical interface; control protocol; lifecycle and replacement evidence.
B · Perception & Sensing
Cameras, LiDAR, radar, inertial and tactile sensing—mapped with calibration and interface evidence.
Initial comparison questions: range test conditions; resolution and frame rate; latency and time synchronization; field of view; environmental rating; driver and SDK lifecycle.
C · Compute & Control
Main computers, accelerators and real-time controllers—compared beyond headline TOPS.
Initial comparison questions: precision-specific throughput; power mode and thermal envelope; memory capacity and bandwidth; camera and bus I/O; real-time capability; software support window.
D · Power & Energy
Battery packs, BMS, conversion and charging—tracked with safety, thermal and duty-cycle conditions.
Initial comparison questions: nominal and usable energy; continuous / peak discharge; temperature and cutoff conditions; cycle-life test method; BMS communication; certification and transport evidence.
E · Interfaces & Integration
The mechanical, electrical, data, timing, thermal and software edges where components succeed or fail together.
Initial comparison questions: interface revision; verified host / device combinations; power and transient limits; driver and firmware versions; clock / trigger compatibility; integration evidence strength.
The index stores dependencies, not just rows
An actuator’s useful performance depends on its drive, supply, thermal path and control timing. A camera’s published frame rate says little about synchronized multi-camera operation without host I/O, driver and clock evidence. A battery pack cannot be selected apart from peak power, voltage sag, BMS messages and charger compatibility.
For that reason, future component records will link to interfaces, verified host/device combinations, robot BOM appearances and supersession history. The graph is the product; the table is one view of it.
RCI maps all five layers from the start, then develops its first deep evidence dataset around integrated actuation and joint components.