As others here, I agree with a lot of what the article says about sensor-data integration in ROS and also about the benefits of using micro-controllers directly. We’re actually working on making that work together with ROS better.
That said, I know that most compute and sensor platforms are far from being the major contributor to the BoM that Pulu makes them out to be. At least in our platforms, while being a significant part, they are from from the major cost driver. Similarly, sensor-data integration, while important, is far from being the main software cost driver. I’ve heard similar things from other vendors.
However, I know of several low-cost robot platforms which experienced a very hard surprise once they tried to tackle safety, which is a must for operation in human environments with loads. Now these platforms cost several times their original target.
Looking at Pulu’s current site, I would also guess that they have a lot to still to do in this regard. Their sensors are not safety-rated, and their chassis presents serious crush and tear risks. This kind of work is easy to underestimate.