Proof of Concept

A small-scale trial proving a solution can actually work in a customer's real scenario.

Proof of concept (PoC) is the process of using a small-scale trial to demonstrate that a technical approach is workable, done before a formal purchase or investment decision. In robot commercialization, a common approach is for a manufacturer to bring one or two robots to a customer's site and run them on a specific step — loading, sorting, and so on — for a few days to a few weeks, verifying whether success rate, cycle time, and safety meet the bar. Only after passing a PoC does a project move to a pilot or small-batch delivery, and later toward scaled deployment. Many companies' public claims of “partnering with an automaker” are, in reality, still at the PoC stage, some distance from a genuine order.

ExampleA logistics company might first let a humanoid robot try moving parts bins in one warehouse for two weeks, tracking success rate and units moved per hour, and only sign a pilot contract once it clears the bar.

Also called

PoC

Related

Pilot / Small-Batch Delivery · Scaled Deployment · Real-world Deployment · Factory Pilot Deployment · Return on Investment / Payback Period · Cycle Time / Units Per Hour

Sources

Proof of concept - Wikipedia