Mobile Laboratory Robot

What is the Mobile Laboratory Robot?

A mobile laboratory robot navigates the laboratory floor to carry samples between instruments or benches. It connects existing equipment without rebuilding the room around a track, using existing instruments and docking points.

Overview

The robot is a wheeled platform about 500–700 mm wide with a rack or drawer, laser or camera navigation and obstacle detection, and a docking station for charging. It carries plates, tubes or racks between defined transfer points, where a fixed or onboard arm loads and unloads an instrument. Payload is typically 5–30 kg, and navigation accuracy of 10–50 mm is enough because the transfer points have guides. The scheduling software assigns tasks, manages route conflicts between robots and reports transfer completion. Safety functions include obstacle sensors and gentle contact, and the robot may share corridors with staff. The design suits laboratories that already have good instruments but manual transport between them, and it avoids the cost and disruption of a fixed track.

How does it work?

A laboratory robot produces precise, repeatable movement so that labware reaches the right place at the right time. A robot arm has joints driven by servomotors, with position feedback from encoders and a gripper that opens to the width of a plate, tube or rack. The controller executes a taught or programmed path with repeatability often better than ± 0.1 mm, and safety systems limit force or stop motion if a person enters the workspace. Mobile robots navigate on a map using laser or camera sensors and carry racks between benches. Storage robots move trays between shelves and a transfer station, retrieving a requested sample by barcode. Plate handlers move microplates between readers, washers and incubators. All are coordinated by scheduling software that knows labware positions, instrument states and the method, so a workflow runs without manual transfers.

What are the key features?

• Wheeled platform 500–700 mm wide
• Laser or camera navigation
• Payload 5–30 kg
• Docking charging station
• Obstacle detection and gentle contact
• Multi-robot task scheduling

What are the technical specifications?

A typical mobile laboratory robot configuration offers type of Mobile laboratory robot, width of 500–700 mm, payload of 5–30 kg, navigation accuracy of 10–50 mm, sensors of Laser, camera, bump and speed of 0.5–1.5 m/s. Values are indicative of the product class; the exact figures for each configuration are confirmed on the quotation and the calibration documents supplied with the instrument.

Which applications is it used for?

The Mobile Laboratory Robot is used in sample transport between benches, instrument loading rounds, sample storage retrieval and waste and consumable movement. Across the wider Laboratory Robotics class, laboratories also deploy it for linked analytical workflows, sample and compound storage and plate-based screening.

Which standards and certifications apply?

Relevant standards and methods include IEC 61010-1 (safety requirements for electrical equipment), ISO 10218 (robots and robotic devices, safety requirements), ISO/TS 15066 (collaborative robots), ANSI/SLAS microplate standards, 21 CFR Part 11 (electronic records and signatures) and USP <1058> (analytical instrument qualification). Certification candidates for this model are CE and ISO 9001 manufacturing; each is to be confirmed for the specific configuration before shipment, and certificates are supplied only where they have been issued.

Assess risks before installation and apply guarding, light curtains, force limits or collaborative safety functions as required by ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 where applicable. Verify repeatability, payload and gripper alignment on installation and after any collision or service, since small offsets cause missed picks and dropped plates. Keep fixtures, plates and racks within specification, because worn or warped labware defeats a precise gripper. Define and test error recovery so the robot can pause, report and resume rather than lose a run. Maintain a spare-parts and service plan, and train operators to clear jams safely and to know when to call service. Record all changes to taught positions and software, and revalidate after major modifications.

How do I select the right Mobile Laboratory Robot?

Choose a mobile robot when samples must move between existing instruments and a fixed track is impractical. Confirm navigation, payload and transfer points. RFQ: route, distances, payload, transfer points, fleet size and safety. Provide the route and transfer points.

How does it compare with other Laboratory Robotics variants?

Choose the lowest level of robotics that solves the problem. A single arm workstation suits a defined set of steps at one bench, while dual-arm systems handle more complex manipulation, such as handling flexible items. A mobile robot is useful where samples must move between existing instruments that cannot be reconfigured, and a storage robot suits large sample or compound libraries needing fast retrieval. Plate handlers integrate microplate instruments cheaply but handle only plates. Confirm reach, payload, gripper designs and the labware you use, since gripping and positioning are the usual failure points. Check the safety approach, including force limits, guarding or light curtains, and confirm the scheduling software supports your workflows, error recovery and LIMS exchange. Consider service, spare parts and training, because a central robot failure stops everything it feeds.