FAQ
Questions we hear on the bench
Straight answers about what RoboCircuit does, how we engage and where the limits of robotics engineering honestly sit.
Before diving into engagement models and budgets, the most important clarification: RoboCircuit is a robotics engineering studio, not a product catalogue, weapons lab, training academy or autonomy-guarantee shop. The answers below assume you are an engineering, operations or R&D leader exploring embedded-systems integration for a real site.
Is RoboCircuit a robot store, a military / weapons robotics firm, a course, or does it guarantee fully autonomous, human-free operation?
No. We are a robotics engineering studio that designs embedded edge AI and real-time control for robotic systems at client sites, with engineers supervising deployment. We do NOT sell robots off a shelf, do NOT work on weapons, defence or covert-surveillance applications, and do NOT sell courses. "Robo" means applied robotics; "Circuit" means closed control loops and embedded real-time circuits — NOT a racing track, NOT synthcircuit.life or any unrelated "circuit" product; the .pro TLD is branding only.
Robots are safety-critical, can mis-perceive edge cases, and need risk assessment, safety-standard compliance (ISO 10218 / CSA) and human oversight — we do not guarantee full autonomy, zero downtime or complete safety.
How do engagements work — project, pilot or retainer?
Most clients start with a control review (C$3,500–C$6,500) or discovery sprint (C$8,000–C$18,000) to frame feasibility. Integration projects run phased: bench bring-up, supervised pilot, deployment support — typically C$45,000–C$180,000 depending on scope. Retainers (C$6,500–C$14,000/month) suit teams needing ongoing tuning, telemetry review and embedded-systems support across a fleet or product line.
What are typical CAD budgets for robotics integration?
Budgets vary with hardware complexity, sensor count, safety requirements and site access. Indicative ranges: control review from C$3,500; discovery C$8,000–C$18,000; single-system integration C$45,000–C$110,000; multi-robot or fleet work C$90,000–C$180,000+. We quote fixed-scope phases after discovery — not open-ended billing. Hardware procurement is typically client-owned and separate from engineering fees.
How long does discovery and integration take?
Discovery sprints: two to four weeks. Bench bring-up: six to fourteen weeks for a typical embedded stack. Supervised pilot and deployment support: four to twelve additional weeks depending on floor access, safety review cycles and parts lead times. Timelines assume reasonable client availability — blocked site access or shifting requirements extend schedules honestly, without penalty rhetoric.
Which platforms, hardware and frameworks do you support?
We work with ROS / ROS 2, common industrial cobot and AMR platforms, NVIDIA Jetson and comparable edge compute, LiDAR and industrial camera ecosystems, and simulation tools (Gazebo, Isaac Sim and others where appropriate). Platform choice follows your constraints — existing fleet, operator familiarity, safety certification path and latency budget — not our preferences. We are integrators, not resellers; hardware recommendations are engineering advice, not a sales catalogue.
How do you handle client data, site data and intellectual property?
Client data, site imagery, telemetry and operational information are handled under contract and PIPEDA / Quebec Law 25 requirements. Default terms assign project-specific deliverables and custom integration IP to the client upon payment; RoboCircuit retains general methodologies and pre-existing tools. Confidentiality is standard. Operational data from your floor stays yours — we do not train public models on client data without explicit written consent. See Privacy Policy and Terms for detail.
What about human oversight and responsible robotics?
Human-in-the-loop supervision is a design requirement, not an afterthought. We engineer teleoperation fallbacks, operator alerts and threshold-based stops. Deployment supervision by senior robotics engineers is standard for initial autonomous navigation and manipulation runs. We support functional safety processes; we do not replace your site's safety engineer or legal compliance authority.
How do you approach functional safety and risk assessment?
We align integration work with ISO 10218, CSA and site-specific risk assessment expectations — hazard identification, safeguarding recommendations, stopping performance validation and supervised pilot protocols. Safety certification itself is your responsibility with qualified safety professionals; we provide engineering evidence and documentation to support that process, not a certificate stamp.
What is the sim-to-real gap and how do you manage it?
Simulation and digital twins accelerate development but rarely capture floor vibration, lighting drift, EMI, thermal throttling and human behaviour around robots. We use simulation for iteration, then validate on hardware with structured bench-versus-floor comparison. Expect gaps — our job is to find them before unsupervised operation, not to pretend they do not exist.
What do you explicitly NOT do?
We do not: sell robots or kits; build weapons or defence systems; deploy covert surveillance robots; offer courses or income schemes; guarantee full autonomy, zero downtime or complete safety; provide legal or safety-certification advice; work on hobby combat robots; or promise lights-out factories without humans. If your brief requires any of the above, we will decline.
Who owns designs, models and outputs?
Contract-specific, but standard terms: custom code, tuned control parameters, integration documentation and project deliverables transfer to the client on final payment. Pre-existing RoboCircuit libraries and general methodologies remain ours. Third-party open-source components stay under their licences. We clarify ownership in the statement of work before work begins.