Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback
Laboratory automation requires reliable and precise handling of microplates, but existing robotic systems often struggle to achieve this, particularly when navigating around the dynamic and variable nature of laboratory environments. This work introduces a novel method integrating simultaneous local...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Robotics and AI |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2024.1462717/full |
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| author | Vincenzo Scamarcio Jasper Tan Francesco Stellacci Josie Hughes |
| author_facet | Vincenzo Scamarcio Jasper Tan Francesco Stellacci Josie Hughes |
| author_sort | Vincenzo Scamarcio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Laboratory automation requires reliable and precise handling of microplates, but existing robotic systems often struggle to achieve this, particularly when navigating around the dynamic and variable nature of laboratory environments. This work introduces a novel method integrating simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), computer vision, and tactile feedback for the precise and autonomous placement of microplates. Implemented on a bi-manual mobile robot, the method achieves fine-positioning accuracies of ±1.2 mm and ±0.4°. The approach was validated through experiments using both mockup and real laboratory instruments, demonstrating at least a 95% success rate across varied conditions and robust performance in a multi-stage protocol. Compared to existing methods, our framework effectively generalizes to different instruments without compromising efficiency. These findings highlight the potential for enhanced robotic manipulation in laboratory automation, paving the way for more reliable and reproducible experimental workflows. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c24e5f984dfe403f9c6bb884edd62045 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-9144 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Robotics and AI |
| spelling | doaj-art-c24e5f984dfe403f9c6bb884edd620452025-01-07T05:24:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Robotics and AI2296-91442025-01-011110.3389/frobt.2024.14627171462717Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedbackVincenzo Scamarcio0Jasper Tan1Francesco Stellacci2Josie Hughes3Supramolecular Nano-Materials and Interfaces Laboratory, Institute of Materials, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, SwitzerlandCREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, SwitzerlandSupramolecular Nano-Materials and Interfaces Laboratory, Institute of Materials, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, SwitzerlandCREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, SwitzerlandLaboratory automation requires reliable and precise handling of microplates, but existing robotic systems often struggle to achieve this, particularly when navigating around the dynamic and variable nature of laboratory environments. This work introduces a novel method integrating simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), computer vision, and tactile feedback for the precise and autonomous placement of microplates. Implemented on a bi-manual mobile robot, the method achieves fine-positioning accuracies of ±1.2 mm and ±0.4°. The approach was validated through experiments using both mockup and real laboratory instruments, demonstrating at least a 95% success rate across varied conditions and robust performance in a multi-stage protocol. Compared to existing methods, our framework effectively generalizes to different instruments without compromising efficiency. These findings highlight the potential for enhanced robotic manipulation in laboratory automation, paving the way for more reliable and reproducible experimental workflows.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2024.1462717/fullrobot manipulationautomationcomputer visionlife sciencemobile robotics |
| spellingShingle | Vincenzo Scamarcio Jasper Tan Francesco Stellacci Josie Hughes Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback Frontiers in Robotics and AI robot manipulation automation computer vision life science mobile robotics |
| title | Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback |
| title_full | Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback |
| title_fullStr | Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback |
| title_short | Reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback |
| title_sort | reliable and robust robotic handling of microplates via computer vision and touch feedback |
| topic | robot manipulation automation computer vision life science mobile robotics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2024.1462717/full |
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