This page describes exactly how the Index is built, anonymized and dated, so that any figure cited from it can be traced to a transparent method. It is the reference the Index itself points to for "how this number was made."
What the Index measures
Two things, both as bands, not point figures: (1) the landed-cost premium over FOB by destination region, and (2) build-plus-transit lead time by robot track. We publish ranges because a single advertised number is meaningless across hundreds of models and dozens of destinations. The honest unit of a robot price index is a band, refreshed quarterly.
Sources
| Source class | Examples | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Official tariff schedules | WCO HS, EU TARIC, UK Trade Tariff, USITC HTS | Duty + VAT/GST treatment by HS heading and region |
| Aggregated sourcing quotes | Anonymized, multi-supplier quote data including robosino.com | Landed-premium and lead-time bands by track |
| Published manufacturer specs | OEM datasheets (e.g. Estun home-page models) | Track taxonomy, form-factor and shipping class |
Anonymization & aggregation
No quote, supplier or buyer is ever identifiable in a published figure. The Index reports only ranges computed over a sample large enough that no single quote can be reverse-engineered. We never publish a per-model price, a per-supplier term, or a per-customer figure. Where a sample is too thin to publish responsibly — as with the $/payload-kg metric this quarter — we say so and withhold the number rather than publish a fragile one.
The catalog-count reconciliation note
The Index draws its model universe from the robosino.com catalog, described publicly as 300+ models across 8 tracks and 25+ brands. The publicly enumerated track pages sum to fewer SKUs than that badge implies, because some SKUs are not broken out on the public track pages. Pending owner reconciliation of the exact model universe and the quarter's sample size, the Index reports tracks qualitatively and as bands; it does not publish a single price or lead-time point figure until the universe and sample are signed off. This is a deliberate gate, not an oversight — an index that claims a citation moat cannot ship a number that visibly contradicts its source.
Dating & cadence
Every Index figure carries its quarter (e.g. "Q3 2026"). Quarters are stable canonical references — a citation to the Q3 2026 Index always resolves to the Q3 2026 numbers, even after Q4 publishes. We do not silently rewrite a past quarter; corrections are noted and dated.
Independence
Robot Sourcing Index has no exclusive commercial tie to any single supplier. Every guide names multiple sourcing channels (direct-from-OEM, marketplaces, distributors, integrators, export-sourcing intermediaries such as robosino). Where a figure originates in our own aggregation we attribute it to the Index by name; where it comes from an official schedule we link the schedule. We do not accept payment to alter a figure.
Methodology is stable canonical and updated only with dated revisions. The Index is reference information, not legal, customs, tax or investment advice.