An Open Software Environment to Optimize the Productivity of Robotized Laboratories

Abstract

A robotic system for processing chemical and biological samples is composed of a hardware environment and a software environment. This article describes the features of a software tool for the design, simulation, optimization, and real-time management of robotic systems. The software has access to powerful scheduling algorithms based on heuristics that allow parallel processing of samples at various status levels. These features are explained via an application that prepares and analyzes fatty acid methyl esters derived from whole cells of bacteria. The software is based on the strategic concepts of global approach and open architecture. The application of these concepts simplify the implementation of any computer-driven device. They also provide the necessary flexibility and evolvability features that permit the robotic environment to be modified, extended, and upgraded to multi-application multirobot systems.