# Hardware Control Protocol **Entity class:** Machine-control concept **Domain:** Artificial intelligence / Robotics **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition A hardware control protocol defines how software represents commands, capabilities, state, limits, errors, and authentication when operating physical machinery. ## Mechanism and significance Standardization can let agents use diverse machines while making permissions, safety envelopes, latency, and fail-safe behavior part of the interface. ## Relationships - **Research dossier:** [[research/ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots|ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots]] - **Ontology route:** [[ASI and RSI Timeline Ontology#Physical Intelligence and Scientific Infrastructure|Physical Intelligence and Scientific Infrastructure]] - **Primary fields:** [[Physical AI]] · [[AI Infrastructure]] · [[AI Superpower]] - **Adjacent concepts:** [[AI-Designed Semiconductor Supply Chain]] · [[Free-Electron-Laser Lithography]] · [[Model Context Protocol for Physical Machinery]] · [[Astra]] ## Sources and provenance - [[research/ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots|ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots]] — immediate source for this node's role in the broadcast research map. ## Evidence boundary The research dossier establishes why this entity or concept belongs in the Moonshots ontology. Time-sensitive organizational, product, policy, and performance claims should be checked against the linked primary source or a current authoritative source before reuse as settled fact.