How do you move your robot prototypes from the lab to the real world?

1 Plan your goals and scenarios

Before you take your robot prototype out of the lab, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What are the main functions and features of your robot? Who are the intended users and beneficiaries? What are the scenarios and use cases that you want to test? How will you collect and analyze data and feedback? Planning your goals and scenarios will help you focus your efforts, avoid unnecessary complications, and evaluate your results.

2 Choose your location and context

The next step is to choose a suitable location and context for testing your robot prototype. Depending on your goals and scenarios, you may want to test your robot in a controlled environment, such as a simulation, a mock-up, or a lab extension, or in an uncontrolled environment, such as a public space, a natural setting, or a user's home. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, so you need to weigh them carefully. For example, a controlled environment may offer more safety and repeatability, but an uncontrolled environment may provide more realism and diversity.

3 Prepare your robot and yourself

Before you leave the lab, you need to make sure that your robot prototype is ready for the real world. This means checking its hardware, software, power, sensors, communication, and safety features. You may also need to adapt your robot prototype to the specific conditions of the location and context, such as weather, lighting, noise, terrain, or human interaction. Additionally, you need to prepare yourself and your team for the testing process. This means having the necessary tools, equipment, permissions, protocols, and backup plans.

4 Conduct your testing and evaluation

Once you are at the testing location, you need to conduct your testing and evaluation according to your plan. You may want to use different methods and techniques, such as observation, interviews, surveys, experiments, or logs, to collect data and feedback from your robot prototype, the environment, and the users. You may also want to adjust your testing and evaluation based on the situation, such as changing the parameters, scenarios, or tasks. However, you should always follow ethical and legal guidelines and respect the rights and privacy of the users and the public.

5 Learn from your results and iterate

After you finish your testing and evaluation, you need to learn from your results and iterate your robot prototype. This means analyzing the data and feedback that you collected, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your robot prototype, and finding the areas for improvement or innovation. You may also want to compare your results with your goals and expectations, and see if they match or differ. Based on your findings, you may want to modify, refine, or redesign your robot prototype, and then repeat the testing and evaluation process until you achieve your desired outcome.

6 Share your insights and experiences

The final step is to share your insights and experiences with others. This can help you communicate your progress, achievements, and challenges, and get feedback and support from your peers, mentors, or stakeholders. You can also contribute to the robotics community and the society by sharing your knowledge, skills, and lessons learned. You can use different platforms and formats, such as blogs, podcasts, videos, papers, or presentations, to share your insights and experiences, and inspire others to move their robot prototypes from the lab to the real world.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?