Physical AI · Economics
Five current boundary-crossing forms, plus the sustaining work that follows delivery.
The same technical system creates different economics depending on who owns the asset, integrates it, performs the work and carries obligations after delivery.
A port is not merely a completed supplier product—otherwise every lidar, reducer and compute module would qualify. It marks capability leaving the enabling-side network for the party using, owning or operating the machine for its own purposes.
Title or control of the finished machine transfers. The buyer then carries deployment, utilization and work-performance risk. A robot arm can complete this handoff and later remain an integrator's input.
The supplier carries design, integration and acceptance risk until a working cell, fleet or site system is handed over. The buyer normally operates after acceptance.
Bounded hardware/software capability enters another producer's machine. The OEM, integrator or asset owner carries the remaining machine-integration and operation risk.
No machine transfers. An owner-operated asset receives continuing autonomy or software capability; the owner keeps the work obligation while the supplier retains entitlement and update obligations.
The provider sells availability or output and retains the operating and performance obligation. Provider-owned and provider-operated customer-owned assets are useful badges, not separate ports.
Factory fit versus conversion, and equipment versus managed service, are mutually exclusive choices for a specific unit or contract. An XOR bracket prevents two outgoing arrows from falsely reading as “both happen.”
Spares, field service, software maintenance, remote support, refurbishment and requalification preserve a delivered offering. They can be contracted at delivery, supplied by third parties and required for continued authorization.
A capability entitlement changes or preserves what an owner-operated machine is enabled to do. Sustaining preserves availability, compliance or serviceability. They are not interchangeable.
Initial acceptance, type approval or operating permission comes before first handoff or use. Continuing software governance and reassessment remain obligations after delivery. Gates affect market access but are not suppliers.
Operational data can return to robot-data, model and simulation work only where connectivity, data rights and contract allow it. Maintenance and fleet operation do not automatically grant a learning loop.
Evidence anchors: Teradyne equipment reporting · Symbotic systems, support and operations reporting · Aurora autonomy-system route · GXO–Agility managed service.