Robotic technology is coming to laboratories in China, where ABB Robotics and XtalPi will engineer a range of automated laboratory workstations to benefit the biopharmaceuticals, chemical engineering and other sectors.

Artificial intelligence developer XtalPi purchased more than 100 GoFa cobots in 2022 to create automated laboratory workstations at its testing facility in Shanghai and recently launched the automation-centric brand XtalPi Intelligent Automation to aid researchers through automation equipment. In the collaboration with ABB Robotics, the GoFa cobots will be applied to the automation of synthesis and crystallization processes involved in developing new drugs and materials.

GoFa cobots. Source: ABB

As part of the automated workstations, the autonomous mobile robots will conduct experiments and perform varied functions, including opening lids and the placement of lab equipment, liquid handling, sample addition, filtration and dilution with minimal supervision required.