Hardware

Bill of Materials (BOM)

A bill of materials is the complete structured list of parts, components, and raw materials required to build a product, with quantities, part numbers, suppliers, and costs, often organized hierarchically by subassembly. In robotics, BOM cost is the standard shorthand for hardware affordability, and open-source projects like ALOHA and various low-cost arms publish full BOMs so others can replicate the hardware.

Why it matters for physical AI

Falling BOM costs for capable arms and teleoperation rigs democratized demonstration collection, directly expanding the community and data volume behind current robot learning progress.