German laboratories are facing a severe labor shortage: according to a study by LABO magazine, 87% of laboratories in Germany do not have enough employees to handle the daily testing work of laboratory samples. Today, already around 4.500 samples per shift need to be processed by an average of only eight employees. Demographic change is intensifying these problems: an aging population means an ongoing increasing number of testing capacities. For many laboratories, there is also the challenge of samples arriving in large quantities two to three times a day. As a result, batches must pass through the entire process chain as quickly as possible and without idle time. How can this already noticeable challenge be met efficiently and in the long term?
robominds has developed a plug & play robotic cell for automated sample handling: The ASR600. By integrating the robobrain® technology based on Artificial Intelligence, the cell is able to recognize, identify, sort and subsequently arrange incoming sample tubes - also from bulk material - into standardized racks in laboratories. Compared to existing automation solutions for laboratories, a key feature of the ASR600 is its flexibility: thanks to the robobrain® technology and the use of flexible AI skills, it is possible to sort a wide variety of samples simultaneously, regardless of their content, diameter and cap color. This ensures maximum flexibility in everyday laboratory work. Further handling of the cell is so easy that laboratory staff can integrate it quickly and efficiently into their everyday workflows. The compact, space-saving design also allows small laboratories with limited space to integrate the ASR600 into their processes.
efficient handling of peak times - sorting of up to 600 laboratory samples per hour
thanks to the compact design
fast commissioning, without teach-in processes
Gripping in the input from bulk to flexible racks
full safety concept and process stability
handling samples with a wide variety of contents, sizes and cap colors at the same time
easy operation by laboratory staff, no prior robotics knowledge required
Visual inspection of cap color and diameter
through 24/7h operation and pre-trained AI skills
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In general, skills can be defined as abilities for robots. They can simply be downloaded to the robobrain® and thereby can be added or exchanged as desired. In the case of the ASR600, the Sample Tube Detection Skill enables the two robots to sort samples in a rack, for example, according to color. Thanks to the pre-trained AI skills, different samples can be detected and sorted without time-consuming learning processes.
› Supported colors: blue, orange, green, yellow, red, purple
› Supported sample diameters: 5 - 80 mm
