Inactive

To support a multi-threading cell-culture workflow in an aseptic or biocontainment environment, NCATS requires a compact, autonomous, holonomic, a multi-wheeled plate-transporting robot that will be a... To support a multi-threading cell-culture workflow in an aseptic or biocontainment environment, NCATS requires a compact, autonomous, holonomic, a multi-wheeled plate-transporting robot that will be able to move in arbitrary x-y directions on any flat surface, pick up a well plate from one workstation, lift it for transport, and deliver it to another. The WiFi-enabled microprocessors on the robot shall control the motor on each holonomic wheel so that the robot can, for example, enter from the front of a workstation and depart from the side, allowing for a streamlined, self-organizing, and coordinated flow of multiple robots on a single work surface. Different robots shall have the ability tobe configured for specific functions. They shall operate without the physical constraints of tracks or fixed arm geometry. Optical sensors and kinematic alignment fixtures will ensure that the they arrive at each location with the required accuracy. The work environment will have one or more charging stations to which a robotcan return when necessary. With multiplerobots, it would be possible to provide swarm servicing of multiple cell culture procedures and instruments.