Announced
Jan 28, 2026 — Crickets Continuum announces development of DCA/r, leveraging open twAIn Robotics billing metrics APIs       
Introducing

DCA/r Data Collection Agent
for Robots

A standardized software agent designed to collect, normalize, and securely transmit robot and AMR usage data across heterogeneous platforms — bringing interoperability to the robotics ecosystem.

Discover DCA/r Read Announcement
What is

The
Robot
Data
Layer

The Data Collection Agent for Robots (DCA/r) is a standardized software agent modeled after the widely adopted Data Collection Agents (DCAs) that transformed the managed print and MFP markets.

Just as DCAs brought visibility and predictability to printer fleets, DCA/r is designed to bring the same level of operational clarity to the rapidly expanding world of robotics and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

"Eliminating proprietary data silos and reducing friction between robotics manufacturers, ISVs, systems integrators, and dealers — creating a common language for the entire ecosystem."

By adopting open, vendor-neutral APIs, Crickets Continuum is positioning DCA/r as the foundational data infrastructure layer for a new era of robot-as-a-service business models, standardized billing, and cross-platform performance analytics.

Standardized Billing Metrics

Real-World Robot Usage
Measured Consistently

DCA/r collects and normalizes four core billing dimensions aligned with the twAIn Robotics open source APIs.

Cost-Per-Task (CPT)

Track the economic cost of each discrete task a robot completes, enabling granular per-operation billing and ROI analysis.

Cost-Per-Traveled-Time (CPTT)

Measure billing based on time-in-motion, creating a usage model comparable to time-based service contracts.

Cost-Per-Linear-Feet (CPLF)

Capture distance traveled as a primary billing unit — ideal for AMRs operating across large warehouse or industrial environments.

Cost for Power Consumed (CPC)

Account for energy consumption as a direct billing dimension, supporting sustainability goals and transparent energy cost allocation.

Unified Currency

Robot
Work
Units

All four billing dimensions — Task, Time, Distance, and Power — are consolidated into normalized Robot Work Units (RWUs), creating a universal, vendor-agnostic currency for robot usage.

RWUs allow dealers, ISVs, and manufacturers to speak the same language across platforms, eliminating fragmented proprietary data formats that slow billing cycles and obscure performance insights.

Whether benchmarking a fleet of AMRs from different manufacturers or generating a unified monthly invoice for a multi-vendor deployment, RWUs make it possible.

Who Benefits

Built for the
Entire Ecosystem

Manufacturers

Expose standardized usage APIs without building proprietary billing infrastructure. DCA/r handles data normalization so you focus on building better robots.

ISVs

Build once on the DCA/r and twAIn APIs to support any robot platform. Integrate multi-vendor deployments without maintaining platform-specific connectors.

Dealers

Offer consolidated usage-based billing across heterogeneous robot fleets. Eliminate manual data reconciliation and deliver transparent, auditable invoices.

Open Source Foundation

Powered by
twAIn
Robotics APIs

DCA/r is built to align with and leverage the twAIn Robotics open source billing metrics APIs — a vendor-neutral specification for consistent robot usage measurement.

By grounding DCA/r in an open standard, Crickets Continuum ensures the ecosystem remains interoperable, extensible, and free from proprietary lock-in.

  • Cost-Per-Task API
  • Traveled-Time API
  • Linear-Feet API
  • Power Consumed API
  • RWU Normalization
  • Open Source

Robot / AMR

Generates raw operational data — tasks, motion, power draw, distance

DCA/r Agent

Collects, normalizes, and securely transmits data via twAIn APIs

RWU Calculation

Raw metrics consolidated into standardized Robot Work Units

Billing & Analytics

Dealers, ISVs, and manufacturers consume unified usage data
Questions

DCA/r FAQ

What is DCA/r?

DCA/r (Data Collection Agent for Robots) is a standardized software agent designed to collect, normalize, and securely transmit robot and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) usage data across heterogeneous platforms. It is modeled after the Data Collection Agents used in the managed print and MFP markets.

Which billing metrics does DCA/r collect?

DCA/r collects four core billing dimensions aligned with the twAIn Robotics open source APIs: Cost-Per-Task (CPT), Cost-Per-Traveled-Time (CPTT), Cost-Per-Linear-Feet (CPLF), and Cost for Power Consumed (CPC).

What is a Robot Work Unit (RWU)?

A Robot Work Unit (RWU) is a normalized, vendor-agnostic unit that consolidates task, time, distance, and power metrics into a single currency for robot usage, so billing and performance can be compared across platforms.

Who is DCA/r for?

DCA/r is built for robotics manufacturers, independent software vendors (ISVs), systems integrators, and dealers who need consistent usage data and billing across multi-vendor robot fleets.

How does DCA/r relate to twAIn Robotics?

DCA/r is built to align with and leverage the twAIn Robotics open source billing metrics APIs, a vendor-neutral specification for consistent robot usage measurement.

Is DCA/r available yet?

DCA/r is in development. Crickets Continuum announced the initiative on January 28, 2026, and early access can be requested through the form on this page.

Official Announcement
Date: From: Crickets Continuum Category: Product Announcement

Crickets Continuum Announces Development of DCA/r to Standardize Robot Usage Data and Billing Across the Robotics Ecosystem

Crickets Continuum today announced its intent to develop a Data Collection Agent for Robots (DCA/r), a standardized software agent designed to collect, normalize, and securely transmit robot and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) usage data across heterogeneous platforms.

Modeled after widely adopted Data Collection Agents (DCAs) in the managed print and MFP markets, DCA/r is designed to bring similar levels of visibility, predictability, and interoperability to the rapidly expanding robotics and automation ecosystem.

The DCA/r initiative will be built to align with and leverage the newly introduced twAIn Robotics open source billing metrics APIs, enabling consistent measurement of real-world robot usage metrics such as Cost-Per-Task, Cost-Per-Traveled-Time, Cost-Per-Linear-Feet, and Cost for Power Consumed.

These standardized metrics allow usage data to be consolidated into normalized Robot Work Units (RWUs), creating a common language for billing, reporting, and performance analysis across the entire robotics supply chain.

By adopting open, vendor-neutral APIs, Crickets Continuum aims to eliminate proprietary data silos and reduce friction between robotics manufacturers, independent software vendors (ISVs), systems integrators, and dealers.

Get Involved

Join the
Open Standard

Whether you're a manufacturer, ISV, integrator, or dealer — DCA/r is being built for you. Stay informed on the development roadmap and help shape the future of robot data standardization.