Liverpool researchers build mobile robot scientist

The system –which is based on a Kuka collaborative robot – is able to move autonomously around the laboratory making its own decisions about which chemistry experiments to perform next.

According to a paper in the journal Nature the technology has already discovered a new catalyst and it's thought that it could be applied to complex problems such as the discovery of new materials for clean energy production or new drug formulations.

Able to roam freely around the lab and work with equipment designed for human operation the robot uses a combination of laser scanning coupled with touch feedback for positioning, rather than a vision system.

In the first published example, the robot conducted 688 experiments over eight days, working for 172 out of 192 hours. To do this, it made 319 moves, completed 6,500 manipulations, and travelled a total distance of 2.17km.

The robot independently carried out all tasks in the experiment such as weighing out solids, dispensing liquids, removing air from the vessel, running the catalytic reaction, and quantifying the reaction products.