A tool by Bob Cheng · RoboticsHub
Robotics ROI & pilot economics
Explore an investment case or the economics of a paid pilot business. Start with the illustrative values below and replace them with your own assumptions.
What supports this scenario?
Mark the evidence you have. This checklist does not change the calculation or measure the probability of success.
0 of 6 evidence items marked.
Formulas, assumptions & provenance
Customer investment
Gross annual value = loaded cost × FTE-equivalent capacity + other value.
Net annual value = gross value × realisation factor − annual operating cost.
Net investment = hardware + integration − upfront capital support.
Simple payback = net investment ÷ positive net annual value.
Horizon ROI = (net annual value × years − net investment) ÷ net investment.
Break-even FTE is the capacity needed to recover the investment within the selected horizon using the same assumptions.
Pilot business
Launch investment = hardware + setup + validation costs.
Pilot contribution = (fee − delivery cost) × number of pilots. Negative margins remain negative.
Funding gap = launch investment − own capital − supplier contribution − approved grants − pilot contribution, with a minimum of zero.
Additional pilots = funding gap ÷ positive per-pilot contribution, rounded up. This assumes the same margin for each additional pilot.
Both models are simplified, undiscounted scenarios. They exclude tax, financing, depreciation, residual value, benefit ramp-up and cash-flow timing. Pilot receipts may arrive after spending, so a zero gap does not establish sufficient working capital. Customer value may include capacity or quality benefits rather than cash savings.
Adapted for this portfolio from my RoboticsHub ROI & Funding Calculator, July 2026. The inputs are illustrative, not supplier quotations or measured customer results. No scenario is an investment recommendation.