Liquid Handling · Control software · Automation · 2023 · bioRxiv | Device
PyLabRobot: An open-source, hardware-agnostic interface for liquid-handling robots and accessories
Abstract Liquid handling robots are often limited by proprietary programming interfaces that are only compatible with a single type of robot and operating system, restricting method sharing and slowing development. Here we present PyLabRobot, an open-source, cross-platform Python interface capable of programming diverse liquid-handling robots, including Hamilton STARs, Tecan EVOs, and Opentron OT-2s.
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
3.1 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
3/1–5Software only; volumes appear solely as code examples (20-240 uL) with no accuracy, precision or flow-rate measurement. Resolution is entirely determined by host Hamilton/Tecan/Opentrons hardware.
Throughput
4/2–5Per-channel Aspiration objects plus aspirate96/dispense96 for the CoRe-96 head give independently controlled channels, but there is no quantitative multi-channel throughput demonstration on hardware.
Parts sourcing
3/2–4Mix of common parts and custom/printed components.
Skill needed
4/2–4Build/operation described as low-skill or basic assembly.
Facilities needed
2/2–4Requires specialized facilities, equipment, or consumables.
Documentation
4/2–5Open resources include several build or operation artifacts.
Validation effort
2/2–4Validation is unit tests, a simulator and demos, and Table 1 is a feature-comparison table rather than a benchmark; no volumetric accuracy data, though a calibration tool is provided.
Cycle time
3/1–4No timing comparison reported; only qualitative claims of faster debugging and iteration versus proprietary interfaces, with no measured protocol or pipetting times.
2 further criteria are recorded but not shown
- Application Level — scored 4 (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.
Have you built this?
Report what it took, including attempts that stalled. A failed build tells the next laboratory what the documentation leaves out.
Know what this record is missing?
The index has no cost or which files exist (CAD, bill of materials, firmware…) for this build. If you are an author or have built it, you know; a GitHub issue pre-filled with this record takes a minute.
Record metadata
Publication data
Matched by doi · retrieved 2026-07-21
Abstract
Abstract Liquid handling robots are often limited by proprietary programming interfaces that are only compatible with a single type of robot and operating system, restricting method sharing and slowing development. Here we present PyLabRobot, an open-source, cross-platform Python interface capable of programming diverse liquid-handling robots, including Hamilton STARs, Tecan EVOs, and Opentron OT-2s. PyLabRobot provides a universal set of commands and representations for deck layout and labware, enabling the control of diverse accessory devices. The interface is extensible and can work with any robot that manipulates liquids within a Cartesian coordinate system. We validated the system through unit tests and several application demonstrations, including a browser-based simulator, a position calibration tool, and a path-teaching tool for complex movements. PyLabRobot provides a flexible, open, and collaborative programming environment for laboratory automation. Figure Abstract PyLabRobot overcomes the limitations of proprietary robotic systems. (a) Scientists with access to liquid-handling robots are currently limited by proprietary interfaces that require specialized knowledge, hinder cross-platform operability, and restrict sharing of methods among different robot types. For complex tasks, many researchers need assistance from a specialist familiar with their particular system, most notably when creating or editing protocols. (b) PyLabRobot ( https://github.com/PyLabRobot/pylabrobot ) offers a single interface that allows any person with basic Python skills to program diverse types of liquid-handling robots and share protocols freely, fostering a more collaborative and efficient research environment. The Python API makes it easy to interact with a large scientific computing ecosystem and allows users to leverage large language models for programming assistance.
Bibliographic details
Access and metrics
Topics and keywords
Perspective and practical signals
Why it matters
Not hardware itself, but critical open control layer for heterogeneous open liquid-handling setups.
Limitations
No limitation note curated yet.