The direct answer
What does a public robot BOM prove? It proves that a responsibility party declared particular items on a particular publication surface. When the surface is commit-pinned, it also proves what that list contained at that repository revision.
What does it not prove? It does not by itself prove that the list is complete, currently purchasable, electrically safe, license-complete, tied to compatible software, reflected in one physical robot, or independently rebuilt. In this audit, four of five selected BOM surfaces are commit-addressable, but none completes all twelve RCI fields.
RCI is not saying these robots cannot be rebuilt. It is saying the selected public evidence does not close every step from responsibility-party list to revision-controlled, independently verified as-built robot.
Five unlike platforms reveal the same publication problem
| Platform | Selected official surface | Format | Selected entries | Version boundary | Largest open gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO-101 follower arm Desktop arm · Hugging Face LeRobot / TheRobotStudio | TheRobotStudio SO-ARM100 README procurement table plus SO-101 printable-part lists | Markdown table Commit-addressable | 17 Six follower-arm procurement rows excluding the Total row, plus eleven individually listed common and follower-specific printable parts. Tools and fixtures remain inside the procurement-table publication boundary. | The current SO-101 material is commit-addressable but not bound to an SO-101 release tag; the repository’s only selected release predates the current SO-101 main branch. | No release-tagged BOM snapshot, unit-level as-built manifest, or independent rebuild package is tied to the current list. |
| Berkeley Humanoid Lite Humanoid · Hybrid Robotics / UC Berkeley | Public Google Sheet tabs: Humanoid, M6C12 Actuator and 5010 Actuator | Live Google Sheet Live / not commit-addressable | 52 Twenty-six Humanoid rows, thirteen M6C12 rows and thirteen 5010 rows after excluding headings and totals. Four rows are generic Misc aggregates; formulas and alternative items remain part of the live-sheet boundary. | The sheet is a live public document with no immutable release identifier exposed in the selected surface; repository release v1.1.0 and the live BOM therefore remain separate evidence boundaries. | No immutable sheet snapshot binds the live BOM to release v1.1.0, and generic Misc rows prevent a fully flattened procurement boundary. |
| TurtleBot3 Burger Mobile base · ROBOTIS | ROBOTIS e-Manual TurtleBot3 parts-list table | Markdown table Commit-addressable | 46 Forty-six published table rows across Burger and Waffle Pi columns. Count is the shared publication surface, not 46 Burger-only unique purchased parts. | The e-Manual source file is commit-addressable but the parts table is not a release-tagged, unit-specific BOM snapshot. | The current specifications name Pi 4 and LDS-02 while the parts row remains generic or alternative; no exact unit manifest fixes those selections. |
| ODRI Solo12 Quadruped · Open Dynamic Robot Initiative | quadruped_robot_12dof_v1 top-level BOM plus quadruped_robot_12dof_v1.1 upgrade BOM | Nested Markdown tables Commit-addressable | 45 Twenty-seven v1 top-level rows plus eighteen v1.1 upgrade rows. The base list contains nested assemblies such as 3DOF Leg ×4, so 45 is not a unique-part or fully flattened quantity. | Versioned hardware folders and commit-pinned source files provide a stable selected snapshot; nested subassembly BOMs remain distributed across the repository. | No single fully flattened BOM joins every nested leg, actuator, board and v1.1 upgrade item, and no unit-level as-built manifest is published. |
| Poppy Humanoid Humanoid · Poppy Project | Poppy Humanoid BOM markdown list, excluding the subsequent tools section | Markdown list Commit-addressable | 47 Forty-seven list items before the tools heading. Generic cable/bolt groupings and alternative head configurations mean the count is not a flattened procurement total. | README and BOM source are commit-addressable but the selected BOM is not directly bound to a hardware release tag. | The responsibility-party README states 25 required DYNAMIXEL actuators while selected BOM quantities sum to 20; generic rows and head options also prevent one exact as-built boundary. |
The formats are materially different. Berkeley Humanoid Lite publishes the sample’s only native spreadsheet. SO-101 and TurtleBot3 use documentation tables, Solo12 distributes nested tables across versioned hardware folders, and Poppy Humanoid uses a list with option-dependent sections. A “BOM exists” checkbox hides those differences.
The 207-entry total is a publication-surface count
The selected surfaces contain 17 SO-101 entries, 52 Berkeley Humanoid Lite rows, 46 TurtleBot3 table rows, 45 Solo12 base-plus-upgrade rows and 47 Poppy list items: 207 in total.
That number is not a unique-part count or a complexity ranking. It includes nested assemblies such as Solo12’s 3DOF Leg ×4, generic groups such as Berkeley’s Misc rows, tools and fixtures inside SO-101’s procurement boundary, alternative configurations, and TurtleBot3 rows shared across model columns. RCI preserves each publication boundary instead of inventing a flat cross-platform BOM.
The twelve-field disclosure matrix
“Published” means the selected official evidence closes the field at the audited platform boundary. “Partial” means useful material exists but leaves a material revision, option, scope or completeness choice open. A commit hash earns version evidence only for the file it addresses; it does not automatically bind a robot release, live spreadsheet or physical unit.
| Disclosure field | SO-101 follower arm | Berkeley Humanoid Lite | TurtleBot3 Burger | ODRI Solo12 | Poppy Humanoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact platform revision A named robot configuration fixes material hardware variants rather than only the family name. | Published | Partial | Partial | Published | Partial |
| Versioned BOM snapshot The selected BOM itself is immutable or explicitly bound to a release—not merely a changing page. | Partial | Partial | Partial | Published | Partial |
| Line-item quantities Procurement items have quantities without relying on an unexpanded assembly name. | Partial | Published | Published | Partial | Partial |
| Manufacturer part numbers Purchased items are identified beyond a generic description. | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Supplier links Purchase routes are attached while remaining non-authoritative for compatibility. | Published | Partial | Partial | Partial | Not published |
| Custom-part files Fabricated mechanical/electrical assets are linked at a controlled revision. | Published | Published | Published | Published | Published |
| Electrical interconnect Wiring, pinout or board interconnect is published for the selected build boundary. | Published | Published | Published | Published | Partial |
| Software / firmware binding The hardware list names a compatible software and firmware revision. | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| License boundary Terms distinguish code, CAD, electronics, documentation and marks where necessary. | Partial | Partial | Partial | Published | Published |
| Change / EOL / substitutions Material replacements and lifecycle transitions are recorded. | Published | Published | Published | Published | Published |
| As-built manifest One physical unit is tied to serial/lot, file and firmware revisions. | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Independent rebuild evidence A third party publishes a revision-bound replication result and acceptance evidence. | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Custom-part files and change/EOL/substitution history are the strongest cross-sample fields: all five publish both at some usable boundary. Four publish a complete selected electrical-interconnect route. Only Solo12 reaches RCI’s strict “published” state for a versioned BOM snapshot. None publishes a serial/lot-bound as-built manifest or a revision-bound independent rebuild evidence package.
One responsibility-party conflict must stay visible
The official Poppy Humanoid README says the complete robot requires 25 Robotis DYNAMIXEL actuators. The selected official BOM source publishes quantities that add to 20 for head option A:
| Section | Selected BOM quantities | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| Legs | 8 × MX-28 + 3 × MX-64 | 11 |
| Torso | 1 × AX + 5 × MX-28 + 2 × MX-64 | 8 |
| Head option A | 1 × AX | 1 |
| Selected BOM total | 11 + 8 + 1 | 20 |
The official-source difference is five. RCI preserves both statements and does not infer missing locations, rewrite the BOM, or treat the cleaner number as authoritative. A buyer or builder needs clarification from the responsibility party and an exact configuration revision.
A URL is not a version
SO-101: the current hardware README is commit-pinnable and richly linked, but the current SO-101 BOM is not tied to a selected SO-101 release tag. The old repository release is not silently applied to newer SO-101 material.
Berkeley Humanoid Lite: the official public spreadsheet has quantities, regional links and formulas, but the live sheet does not expose an immutable public revision bound to release v1.1.0. Historical paper costs and current live-sheet totals therefore remain separate dated boundaries.
TurtleBot3 Burger: the current e-Manual names Raspberry Pi 4 and LDS-02 in specifications, while the parts surface retains generic/alternative hardware plus dated Pi and LDS footnotes. A model name alone does not tell which combination one shipped unit contains.
Solo12: the v1 base list and v1.1 autonomy upgrade are explicitly versioned and commit-pinned. They are still nested; a controlled flattening step is required before treating them as one procurement package.
The minimum rebuild evidence package RCI would accept
- Identity: platform name, exact hardware revision, configuration options and release date.
- Flattened BOM: stable line ID, quantity, unit, manufacturer, exact part number and parent assembly for every purchased and fabricated item.
- Controlled alternatives: approved substitutes, qualification evidence and the revisions to which each substitute applies.
- Fabrication: CAD, drawings, PCB source, Gerbers, assembly files and checksums at immutable revisions.
- Interconnect: wiring, pinout, connector, cable, power, protection and configuration definitions.
- Software binding: firmware, bootloader, operating system, robot software and configuration commits known to match the hardware revision.
- Rights: explicit license or permission boundary for code, CAD, electronics, documentation, names and marks.
- Lifecycle: change log, end-of-life notices and approved replacement history.
- As-built manifest: one physical unit’s serial/lot, actual alternates, file hashes, board revisions and firmware versions.
- Acceptance evidence: safety checks, bring-up results and defined functional tests; an independent rebuild should publish its deviations and results against the same revision.
Method and limitations
RCI selected one official BOM publication boundary for each platform, pinned repository evidence where possible, counted rows or list items without copying their full contents, and evaluated twelve disclosure fields. The sample was chosen to span a desktop arm, two humanoids, a mobile base and a quadruped—and four publication formats. It is not a ranking of open-source robots or a claim that these five represent the whole field.
The audit is documentary. RCI did not purchase parts, execute builds, validate electrical safety, test software compatibility, confirm inventory or establish destination-specific regulatory compliance. Supplier links and prices are volatile. Every build decision must re-open the responsibility-party sources and record the exact retrieved revision.
Responsibility-party sources
The dataset maps 16 unique official URLs. The table below gives the exact selected locations and revisions; linked owners retain their respective rights.
SO-101 follower arm
- LeRobot SO-101 documentation — SO-101 identity, flagship status, build boundary and links to official hardware material · Commit d23b654 · 2026-07-30
- TheRobotStudio SO-ARM100 hardware README — Follower-arm procurement rows, servo variants, regional links, voltage warning and printable-part lists · Commit 7629d2a · 2026-08-05
- TheRobotStudio SO-ARM100 repository — CAD, printable parts, URDF, repository activity and Apache-2.0 repository license metadata
Berkeley Humanoid Lite
- Berkeley Humanoid Lite materials and parts BOM — Official documentation page linking the public BOM sheet
- Berkeley Humanoid Lite public BOM spreadsheet — Humanoid, M6C12 Actuator and 5010 Actuator line items, quantities, regional links and formulas · Live sheet verified 2026-08-10; no immutable public revision selected
- Berkeley Humanoid Lite v1.1.0 release — Release boundary, missing-BOM-part fixes and V2 exploration note · Tag v1.1.0 · commit aa93e47 · 2025-09-07
- Berkeley Humanoid Lite repository — CAD, PCB, software and split code/asset license statements
TurtleBot3 Burger
- TurtleBot3 features and parts list — Rendered official specifications, parts table, revision footnotes and linked hardware resources
- TurtleBot3 parts-list source file — Commit-pinned table and historical hardware footnotes · Commit ee86bc9 · 2024-12-20
- ROBOTIS e-Manual repository — Documentation source and MIT repository license metadata
ODRI Solo12
- Solo12 v1 top-level BOM — Base robot BOM, nested assemblies and custom mechanical files · Repository snapshot 66af152 · file material revision 7ace859
- Solo12 v1.1 autonomy upgrade BOM — Autonomy upgrade parts and printed files · Commit 66af152 · 2022-09-06
- Open Robot Actuator Hardware repository — Nested mechanical/electrical production files, wiring, calibration and BSD-3-Clause license
Poppy Humanoid
- Poppy Humanoid hardware repository README — Robot identity, 25-actuator statement, cost boundary, licenses and trademark notice · Commit d66c8fb · 2021-12-06
- Poppy Humanoid BOM source — Component-list items, quantities and head alternatives · Commit 2130828 · 2021-07-04
- Poppy Humanoid assembly guide — Hardware version, wiring/assembly routes and MX-28 replacement note
Download the audit
Download the immutable research release as JSON or CSV. Stable current aliases are /data/research/public-robot-bom-evidence.json and /data/research/public-robot-bom-evidence.csv.
The files publish RCI’s audit metadata and aggregate counts, not the full third-party BOMs. Follow the source URLs for current responsibility-party material, terms and safety instructions.
Suggested citation: Robot Component Index, “Open-Source Robot BOM Evidence: 5 Platforms, 4 Commit-Pinnable Lists, 0 Complete Rebuild Packages,” RCI 021, research dataset v0.1.0, 2026-08-10.