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74 CHAPTER THREE

FIGURE 3-1 A hungry lion can be a problem.

So why use a computer at all? The bottom line is
The project will cost less to complete.
The robot will be a better one.
The design can be finished sooner.

Let’s look at where these savings accrue. Every project has costs in terms of time and
money:
Cost What types of cost exist?
Direct cash outlay for equipment, parts, and tools.
Tying up scarce resources. Sometimes projects consume resources that cannot be
replaced but are essentially free. An example would be the time of a key employee.
If another project came along, the key employee would not be available.
Development time The amount of time the development takes has various costs
attached to it. If the schedule for a commercial robot project slips, a company can
miss a large percentage of the potential profits. As soon as competitors come out
with similar products, profits drop off quickly. The first few months of a product’s
lifetime are the most valuable. If the robot is not ready on time, the opportunity
cost is lost. If a project schedule slips, real costs generally run up. Resources and
personnel can also be tied up, causing a longer development time.
Risk of failure Managers of robot projects often expend resources early in the
schedule to defuse risks. As an example, consider a robot that must traverse diffi-