Mobile Robotic Lab Cart for Coordinated Manual-Automation Workflows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laboratory automation systems are limited in their ability to seamlessly integrate with both automated and manually operated equipment, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistencies in high-throughput screening processes due to lack of data capture and inconsistent timing in manual experiments, which can affect the quality of results.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of auto-navigating robotic processing vehicles that can interact with both automated and manually operated processing stations, equipped with interchangeable end effectors and a control system that schedules and coordinates tasks between human operators and robots, capturing and reporting experiment data to ensure consistency and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual experiments are conducted in high throughput screening, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but data capture consistency and timing accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A mobile robotic processing cart serves as an intermediary between manual experimenters and automated processing stations. The cart includes a robot that can perform automated operations (mixing, stirring, processing) while being manually navigated to different locations. This hybrid approach maintains the flexibility of manual experimentation while introducing automated precision for data capture and timing through the robotic components.
2Productivity
If fully automated platforms are used for chemical and biological experiments, then productivity and consistency are improved, but adaptability and ease of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its level of automation based on experimental needs. The mobile robotic cart can be manually navigated to different locations while the robotic arm performs automated operations. The system can switch between fully manual navigation and automated navigation modes, allowing flexibility in experiment conduct while maintaining high productivity through automated processing operations.
3Productivity
If semi-automated systems with automated pipette workstations are used, then productivity is improved, but integration with manually operated equipment becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile robotic processing cart is designed as a universal platform that can interface with multiple types of processing stations and equipment. The robotic arm can perform various operations (pipetting, mixing, stirring) and the cart can be navigated to different locations to work with different automated and manual equipment. This multi-functionality reduces integration complexity by providing a single versatile interface rather than requiring custom integration for each equipment type.
Data Source
AI summary
A laboratory system including a plurality of lab workstations distributed in a lab where each of the plurality of lab workstations is configured to run jobs of a work process, at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle that holds a sample holder, and a controller connected to the plurality of lab workstations and the at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle. The controller is configured to receive operational job data characterizing each of a number of different jobs that define the work process, receive system data from one or more of the plurality of lab workstations and the at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle, and based on the operational job data and the system data, schedule and coordinate each of the number of different jobs that define the work process.