Liquid Handling · Automation · High-throughput screening · 2025 · Journal of Open Hardware
A 3D-Printed Plate Handler for Automated Handling of Well Plates on the Opentrons OT-2
This paper details a 3D-printed plate handler designed to address the limitation of automated plate manipulation within the Opentrons OT-2 liquid handling robot. The hardware enables precise, automated labware transfer, expanding the OT-2’s capabilities for complex biological and chemical assays.
Performance the paper reports
0 of 5- Motion—Motion accuracy: not reported
- Volume—Volumetric accuracy: not reported
- Viability—Cell viability: not reported
- Unattended—Unattended operation: not reported
- Standard—Standard compliance: not reported
The full text was read and states no figure for any of the five.
How hard this is to adopt
2.9 of 5, higher is easierEach score is shown against the range the other 59 builds actually occupy, because no criterion uses the full 1–5 scale. These describe how reproducible the build is, not how good the science is.
Resolution
1/1–5The gripper contributes no liquid handling; only the host OT-2 P300 8-channel dispensing toluidine blue with 300 uL tips, and no volume, accuracy or flow-rate data.
Throughput
3/2–5A single gripper moves one plate at a time, with three-plate repositioning plus a dye protocol unattended; any parallel pipetting comes from the host OT-2.
Parts sourcing
4/2–4Mostly off-the-shelf or kit-based components.
Skill needed
2/2–4Multiple advanced technical skills appear required.
Facilities needed
4/2–4Uses common benchtop/desktop equipment or generic consumables.
Documentation
4/2–5Open resources include several build or operation artifacts.
Validation effort
2/2–4Transfers between deck slots 1 and 9 with 42-286 g loads were confirmed only by visual inspection; PWM/offset calibration is given but no quantitative positional accuracy or benchmark.
Cycle time
3/1–4No timing comparison reported; only the host gantry spec (400 mm/s) and a two-day build estimate, with no manual plate-transfer baseline.
2 further criteria are recorded but not shown
- Application Level — scored 5 (75% of records share one value), so it cannot separate one build from another.
- Build Time (scored for only 6 of 60 records), so it cannot separate one build from another.
Both remain in the published dataset.
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Matched by doi · retrieved 2026-07-21
Abstract
This paper details a 3D-printed plate handler designed to address the limitation of automated plate manipulation within the Opentrons OT-2 liquid handling robot. The hardware enables precise, automated labware transfer, expanding the OT-2’s capabilities for complex biological and chemical assays. Technically, it advances the state-of-the-art by providing a cost-effective, adaptable solution for labware handling, a feature often limited to more expensive robotic platforms but which can be crucial to expand capability through motion of plates into auxiliary devices or components of the robot, or stacking of plates to increase capacity of the instrument. The design utilizes open-source CAD software to create a custom mechanical structure, fabricated through replicable PLA 3D printing. Implemented with a Raspberry Pi Zero WH and integrated via the OT-2's serial communication, the plate handler achieves precise positional control. Functional testing validates its accuracy and stability in handling diverse labware. This hardware is applicable to various research areas requiring automated liquid handling and plate movement, offering a readily customizable and accessible tool for laboratory automation. Its open-source nature promotes reuse and adaptation for other robotic platforms.
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