Laboratory automation I: Automata with new solution

Laboratories, like the entire economy in the Western world, suffer from labor shortages. Some of the activities are repetitive and monotonous. Thus, there are enough approaches for automation. However, the requirements are different from those in manufacturing companies: The required payload is low, but highest precision is required and often also very good optical recognition. After the United Robotics Group already presented a solution some time ago, there are now two other - in my opinion not competing - automations. (If Automata should be in competition with URG, the latter should have a problem, because their solution seems much more expensive). I hope to present the German variant soon. First of all, the English solution of a company that has been known here for years: Automata started as a startup with a very small cobot at a fighting price (6,000 pounds), which quickly rose in price. Then ABB got in (only a minority shareholder) and Automata shifted to software development. Apparently recognizing that the lab market wants processes solved, not just hardware bought. The first cobot called EVA has not been built since last year. Instead, a type of Scara robot is now offered on a nicely designed linear axis and, most importantly, software. The Scara robot is bought from Brooks Automation, I learned. To the press release of the company, which has always been financed with 60 million US $:

LINQ platform automates processes in the laboratory

Automata, a leading automation company helping life science labs fully automate their workflows, today launches LINQ ^, a new open, integrated laboratory automation platform. The LINQ platform features a unique lab bench with integrated automation capabilities and accompanying powerful proprietary orchestration software for the lab. As a result, laboratories can easily reduce human touch points and increase efficiency and accuracy without having to reserve additional lab space for bulky equipment.  

The openness of the platform is one of its most important features: With LINQ, laboratories are able to use any number of common automated benchtop instruments, such as. 

The LINQ bench connects instruments using a robotic arm and a transport layer, both of which feed labware and consumables throughout the workflow. With this setup, benchtop instruments can be used at maximum capacity, helping to increase a lab's throughput.

The LINQ bench is also modular, so workcells can be configured to fit almost any lab interior, including central island formations and corner shapes. Modularity makes scaling easy; labs can easily add additional LINQ benches to their LINQ platform to expand their capabilities. Designed to mirror the size and shape of traditional lab benches, the LINQ bench is a direct replacement that can automate workflows end-to-end. 

The video does not yet show LINQ, but it does show the robot on rails, which is also used for LINQ.

Are we networking? LinkedIn
-> Go to the Cobot group on LinkedIn (link). The author is also a consultant (robotics, tech & finance). Hardly anyone is likely to have a comparable market overview.