Mara is specialized autonomous robot system aimed to accelerate material development by combining automated pipetting, material characterization and machine-learned parameter determination.
Specifically, Mara is based on the Opentron OT2 pipetting robot, supplemented with peripheral machine characterization and sample transport systems. The robot’s goal for the next year is to be able to synthesize and analyze the properties of Lead-Halide Perovskites, which are fundamental to solar cells.
However, we are already approaching the limits of the Opentron system. Out of its 11 wells, 3-5 wells are used for precursor storage, 2 are used for one type of material synthesis, including a heated and non-heated plate, leaving about half the workspace for measurement equipment. Additionally, the Opentron is not able to directly move sample plates around, requiring human-in-the-loop.
Future of Laboratory Research
I envision a future of more and more generalized lab assistant machines. Mara is a very specific robot capable of only the synthesis and measurement, but other processes in laboratory experimentation, like initial research and literature review also sees opportunities to be expedited.
With AI tools like ChatGPT already widely available, it is very possible to build a robotic system that can:
conduct initial research and literature review
determine starting parameters for experimentation
calculate new parameters through informed guesses
synthesize varied samples through high-throughput pipetting or liquid printing
iterate until a material with desired characteristics is achieved