A structured list of every part, component, and material needed to build a robot, usually with quantities, identifiers, and sources. RoboPartPicker derives BOMs from project files and keeps unresolved lines visible rather than dropping them.
Commercial off-the-shelf components: standard parts you can buy from distributors rather than fabricate yourself. FRC teams use COTS part exemptions to build competitive robots quickly from catalog suppliers.
A motor with closed-loop position control that can be commanded to a specific angle. Servos are the workhorse of small robots and robot arms; torque and speed specs determine which servo fits which joint.
A brushless motor that moves in discrete steps, allowing precise open-loop position control. Steppers are common in 3D printers and robot arms where holding torque matters more than top speed.
Brushless DC motor: high efficiency and power density for its size, driven by an electronic speed controller. BLDC motors power quadrupeds, drones, and robot wheels where continuous motion and efficiency matter.
The component that produces motion in a robot: a motor, linear actuator, or muscle-like device. The actuator finder on RoboPartPicker narrows actuator selection by torque, speed, size, and supply voltage.
A power electronics board that drives brushless motors by converting DC power into three-phase commutation. ESC selection depends on motor current draw, battery voltage, and firmware features.
A board or IC that converts a microcontroller's logic-level control signals into the higher voltage/current needed to drive DC or stepper motors. Common chips include L298, DRV8825, and TB6612.
End-of-life: a part the manufacturer is discontinuing. EOL parts matter in robotics because a build tied to an obsolete component becomes hard to reproduce. RoboPartPicker flags sourcing uncertainty rather than hiding it.
An observed price for a component at a specific distributor. On RoboPartPicker, supplier offers are labeled as observations, not binding quotes, with freshness shown honestly.
The Robot Operating System 2: an open-source middleware framework for building robot software, providing messaging, drivers, tooling, and a huge ecosystem. Most open-source robot projects in the RoboPartPicker catalog are built on ROS or ROS 2.
An XML file describing a robot's links, joints, and kinematics. RoboPartPicker reads URDF and robot-description files as evidence when deriving a project's bill of materials.
Computer-aided design models of robot parts, usually STEP or STL. CAD files are primary evidence in RoboPartPicker BOM extraction, alongside explicit BOM files and documentation.
A component designed to be made in-house: 3D printed, machined, or laser cut. Fabricated parts appear in BOMs with their own tolerances, materials, and manufacturing notes.
How completely a robot build can be recreated from its published files, BOM, and instructions. Honest reproducibility evidence - including what is missing - is a core value of the RoboPartPicker platform.