A ROS based architecture for anautonomous chemistry laboratory
David Marquez-Gamez

Leverhulme ResearchCentre for Functional
Materials DesignWhat is this talk about?

“Developing a self-driving autonomous scientific laboratory
powered by artificial intelligence and robotics.”
Cooperative, heterogeneous and adaptive robots for anautonomous chemistry laboratory: recent advances and open
challenges towards the scientific lab of the futureMotivation:
Scientists at work in laboratory

https://youtu.be/X-HyiirHulo

Motivation: Robotic Scientist• Autonomous mobile
robot scientist• Dexterous - can workwith equipment / scales
that are relevant toscientific labs

Source: Andrew I. Cooper - Autonomous Materials Discovery / University of Liverpool

Robotic Scientist
Autonomous mobile robot - Autonomous discovery

Source: Andrew I. Cooper - Autonomous Materials Discovery / University of Liverpool

Self-driving Autonomous Lab:
Communication “Middleware”
Robot Operating System (ROS)

Goal:
abstract away interprocess
communication (IPC) and crossnetwork communication details

Self-driving Autonomous Lab: challenges
https://youtu.be/rdPkkdZ7IeE

Challenge: perception
OpenCV

2D camerahttps://youtu.be/4HAKkNNp9FE
VialSelf-driving Autonomous Lab: challenges
Challenge: Perception and control (Visual servoing)
OpenCV + Movelt!

https://youtu.be/iwKtckYdE2M

Self-driving Autonomous Lab: challenges
Challenge: Robust autonomous navigation -> Navigation stack
Need for adaptive and intelligent navigation

Robot Architecture
Dynamically reconfigurable workflows – Modular and Flexible systems• Simplification of the integration and networking of the controland sensor data utilizing web based, and ontology services• Use of common integration architecture to monitor the executionof the task and dynamically redistribute the workflow• Using the status reporting of the autonomous robots, the system
will be able to generate alternative allocations for robots (andhumans).

Robot Architecture
Dynamically reconfigurable workflows – Modular and Flexible systems- Modular architectureRobot Architecture:
Use Case: sample preparation
KUKA

Sample Preparation
QS30 Autosampler
from Mettler-Toledo

Solid Dispensing:

Dynamically reconfigurableworkflows/Dosing_status/Door_position/Sampler_position/Dosing_target

Modular and Flexible systems

LiquidDispensing:/Pump_status/Pump_speed/Pump_direction/TimerWatson Marlow 323DU Pump

abb_driverMixing:/mixer_status/Speed_target/TimerIKA ULTRA-TURRAX

AnalysisRobot Architecture:
ROS package

Lab automation/interfacing

QS30 Autosampler
from Mettler-Toledo

Solid Dispensing:/Dosing_status/Door_position/Sampler_position/Dosing_target

RS232 - Serial Interface
Watson Marlow 323DU Pump

LiquidDispensing:/Pump_status/Pump_speed/Pump_direction/TimerIKA ULTRA -TURRAX

Mixing:/mixer_status/Speed_target/Timersolid
QS30 Autosampler
from Mettler-Toledo

Solid Dispensing:/Dosing_status/Door_position/Sampler_position/Dosing_target

liquidWatson Marlow 323DU Pump

LiquidDispensing:/Pump_status/Pump_speed/Pump_direction/Timermixing
IKA ULTRA -TURRAX

Mixing:/mixer_status/Speed_target/TimerRobot Architecture
Heterogenous and collaborative robots
Collaborative task: vial capper/decapper and transfer

Dynamically reconfigurable
workflows

Modular and Flexible systems

https://youtu.be/tgWzPMPSeOMAutonomous and Intelligent Labs:
Future Vision

Future vision

ComputationalBrain

Robotic
Research Agents

Thank you
Let's Make Robots!!!

dmarquez@liverpool.ac.uk@damarquezg