A pilot should answer a purchasing question with observable evidence. Before bringing a robot to site, agree the task, boundaries and decision that will follow the trial.
Practical guidance from Desert Horizon. Product examples illustrate a category; capabilities depend on the exact supplied configuration.
Choose a narrow mission
Define the starting point, task, finish condition and acceptable human assistance. Use a typical workload rather than the easiest possible example. Name a process owner who can explain how the work is done today. A pilot that attempts several unrelated jobs may generate interesting demonstrations without answering whether any one job is ready for deployment.
Agree what to record
Select a small set of measures: completed tasks, useful outputs, interventions, preparation and recovery time. Record failures using the same attention given to successes. Decide which conditions are representative and which are excluded. This prevents a later disagreement about whether the trial tested the actual operating environment.
Write the next decision in advance
Describe what evidence would justify moving forward, changing the configuration or stopping the project. Include training and support requirements alongside technical performance. A useful pilot can reveal that a different workflow is needed. Treat that as a decision result, rather than feeling obliged to expand simply because equipment has already been demonstrated.
Three points to take into your project
- Define a typical complete task.
- Agree measures before starting.
- Set a clear go, revise or stop decision.
