What is lab automation? Benefits and functions

Lab automation uses robotics, intelligent instruments, and software to execute laboratory tasks with minimal human oversight. Across clinical diagnostics, research facilities, and manufacturing operations, these systems convert manual benchwork into repeatable, scalable processes. Here's how lab automation works and where it creates measurable impact.

What is lab automation?

Lab automation uses robotics, intelligent instruments, and software to run lab tasks with minimal human intervention. These systems handle steps like liquid transfers, sample prep, measurements, and data capture.

Partial automation vs. total lab workflow automation

Lab automation generally falls into one of two categories:

1. Partial automation: Automates specific tasks within your workflow. For example, you might have a robot that just handles plate sealing or liquid dispensing. Your team still handles sample transport between stations and oversees each step.
2. Total workflow automation: Automates a lab process from beginning to end. Once you run samples, the system can run with little supervision.

Below is a comparison of the two:

How lab automation works

Lab automation converts complex laboratory processes into precise, repeatable operations that robots and software execute consistently.

Programming the workflow

You start by using automation control software to design your experimental protocol. The software specifies each step with exact parameters. For example, “Transfer 10 microliters from tube A to well B, incubate for 15 minutes, then move the plate to the reader.”

Most systems use barcodes to track samples through every step.

Robotic execution

Once you load the program, the automation system runs each step.

For example:

• Liquid handlers use precise tools to pick up and release liquids with extreme accuracy. These instruments remove the differences that happen when people handle liquids manually.
• Robotic arms move samples between work areas. They pick up the plates and tubes and move them from the prep stations to the testing instruments.

Analysis and measurement

After preparing the samples, automated testing machines perform the actual analysis. Plate readers and other instruments measure the samples and detect changes in color, light signals, or other indicators automatically.

Data management

Results move directly from instruments into your lab's computer system. This removes typing errors and creates an immediate, searchable record of all your test data.

Implementing automation in your lab

Successful automation deployment requires a structured, phased approach.

Here is a step-by-step roadmap:

1. Analyze your existing manual workflows: Look for the bottlenecks. Where does work pile up? Where do re-runs happen most often due to human error? These pain points are your prime candidates for automation.
2. Do a cost-benefit analysis: Figure out your ROI by comparing total setup costs (equipment, installation, training, maintenance) against expected savings in labor, fewer errors, and increased output. Consider how automation will affect your lab's ability to take on new projects.
3. Select the right vendor: Choose automation platforms that work with your current instruments and can grow as your needs expand. Request demos from multiple vendors and check their technical support options before making a decision.
4. Design and integrate the workflow: Map out how the automated system will handle your processes. Make sure the robot and all connected instruments can communicate properly so samples move smoothly through your workflow.
5. Train and manage change: Give hands-on training to everyone who will operate or maintain the system. Include problem-solving procedures and best practices for getting the most out of the equipment.
6. Continuous evaluation: Track important numbers after you start using the system, such as output, error rates, and how often the system runs properly. Use this information to improve your processes.

Benefits of lab automation

The key benefits of lab automation include increased throughput, precision, and operational efficiency. 

• More tests: Automated systems can operate 24/7 and process significantly more samples in that period than a human team could sustain.
• Improved accuracy: Robotic systems are very precise. Every measurement uses the same exact force and timing, so they produce uniform results.
• Better use of staff time: Automation handles boring, repetitive work so your scientists can focus on designing experiments, analyzing data, and planning strategy.
• Reduced risk for your staff: Machines can handle hazardous materials, infectious samples, or extreme temperatures.
• Standardized quality: In clinical settings where patient outcomes are on the line, the consistency automation provides is necessary.

Common lab processes you can automate

Standard lab automation applications include:

• Liquid handling: Automated systems can measure and transfer exact amounts of samples.
• Discovering new drugs: High-speed testing robots can check thousands of compounds against biological targets. This shortens the drug development timeline.
• Medical testing: Hospitals rely on automation to process massive volumes of blood and urine samples.
• Checking food safety: Food and beverage manufacturers use automated systems to test batches for pathogens and quality markers before products ever hit the shelves.

Future trends in lab automation

Lab automation systems continue to advance in capability, scale, and integration. Here are the most significant trends shaping where lab automation is headed:

AI and machine learning

Future systems will incorporate artificial intelligence to monitor experiments in real-time. If the AI detects an anomaly, it could autonomously adjust protocols to save the experiment or flag the issue before reagents are wasted.

Miniaturization

Lab-on-a-chip devices (microfluidics chips) enable complex testing with microscopic sample volumes. These compact systems can miniaturize entire automated workflows. 

Modular lab automation systems

Rather than investing in large, fixed systems, you'll be able to configure modular automation using interchangeable components. This flexibility allows you to reconfigure your automation setup for different experiments without purchasing entirely new systems.

Personalized medicine

Automation will become key in creating personalized treatments. They will enable rapid testing of how individual patient samples respond to different treatments.

Summing up

Lab automation uses robots and software to handle repetitive lab tasks like measuring liquids, preparing samples, and collecting data. It cuts down on human error, speeds up testing, and frees scientists to focus on analysis instead of tedious work. Automated systems can run 24/7, processing far more samples than manual methods.

Common uses of lab automation include drug discovery, medical testing, and food safety checks. Future systems will use AI to adjust experiments in real time and miniaturized chips to run complex tests on tiny samples.

Next steps with Standard Bots’ robotic solutions

Looking to upgrade your automation game? Standard Bots Thor is built for big jobs, while Core is the perfect six-axis cobot addition to any automated operation, delivering unbeatable throughput and flexibility.

• Affordable and adaptable: Core costs $37k. Thor lists at $49.5k. Get high-precision automation at half the cost of comparable robots.
• Perfected precision: With a repeatability of ±0.025 mm, both Core and Thor handle even the most delicate tasks.
• Real collaborative power: Core’s 18 kg payload conquers demanding palletizing jobs, and Thor's 30 kg payload crushes heavy-duty operations.
• No-code simplicity: Our intuitive, no-code app makes it easy to teach Standard Bots robots to do everyday tasks. So, Core and Thor integrate smoothly with any operations for advanced automation.
• AI-driven models: For complex, high-variance, and unpredictable tasks that are otherwise impossible to automate today, Standard Bots robots learn through our AI-driven vision-to-action models, similar to how full self-driving works.
• Safety-first design: Machine vision and collision detection mean Core and Thor work safely alongside human operators.

Schedule your on-site demo with our engineers today and see how Standard Bots Core and Thor can bring AI-powered greatness to your shop floor.

FAQs

1. Will automation replace laboratory scientists?

No, automation will not replace laboratory scientists. Instead, automation handles routine, repetitive tasks so your scientists can focus on higher-level work such as designing experiments, interpreting data, and planning research strategy. The technology strengthens your team's abilities rather than replacing them.

2. Do I need programming expertise to operate lab automation systems?

No, you do not need programming expertise to operate modern lab automation systems. Modern lab automation systems, including Standard Bots robots, use intuitive interfaces, tablet screens, or physical guidance of the robot arm. While some initial training is required, most lab managers can learn to program new tasks quickly without a technical background.

3. Which technologies power lab automation?

Robotics and laboratory software power lab automation. Robotics handles physical tasks like moving samples and handling liquids, while laboratory software manages workflows, tracks samples, and stores data. Together, these technologies create efficient, integrated laboratory systems.

4. What types of automation are used in clinical laboratories?

Clinical laboratories use either partial automation or total laboratory automation. Partial automation handles specific tasks within the workflow, while total laboratory automation covers complete end-to-end processes from sample intake through analysis and reporting. The choice depends on the lab's volume and operational needs.