# Welcome to PyLabRobot's documentation!

<hr>

**PyLabRobot is a hardware- and operating system-agnostic, pure Python Software Development Kit (SDK) for Automated & Autonomous Laboratories.**

<hr>

- **GitHub repository**: [https://github.com/PyLabRobot/pylabrobot](https://github.com/PyLabRobot/pylabrobot)
- **Community & Developer Forum**: [https://discuss.pylabrobot.org](https://discuss.pylabrobot.org)
- **Publication**: [Wierenga et al 2023, PyLabRobot: An Open-Source, Hardware Agnostic Interface for Liquid-Handling Robots and Accessories (Device)](<https://www.cell.com/device/fulltext/S2666-9986(23)00170-9>)
- **Supported Machines**: [supported machines](user_guide/machines.md)

<hr>

```{figure} /img/plr.jpg
:width: 500px
:align: center
:alt: Graphical abstract of PyLabRobot
```

```{note}
PyLabRobot is different from [PyHamilton](https://github.com/dgretton/pyhamilton).
While both packages are created by the same lab and both provide a Python interfaces to Hamilton robots, PyLabRobot aims to provide a **universal interface to many different robots** runnable on many **different computers/operating systems**.
PyHamilton is a Windows only interface to Hamilton's VENUS.
```
<hr>

## Supported by

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_inheco.png
:alt: Inheco
:class: company
:target: https://www.inheco.com/
```

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_tek-matic.png
:alt: Tek-Matic
:class: company
:target: https://www.tekmatic.com
```

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_westportal.jpg
:alt: West Portal Scientific
:class: company
:target: https://www.westportalsci.com
```

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_byonoy.svg
:alt: Byonoy
:class: company
:target: https://byonoy.com
```

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_nugget.png
:alt: Nugget
:class: company
:target: https://www.nuggetscientific.com
```

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_alpaqua.png
:alt: Alpaqua
:class: company
:target: https://www.alpaqua.com/
```

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_brooks.png
:alt: Brooks
:class: company
:target: https://www.preciseflexrobots.com/
```

```{image} /img/supported_by/logo_q.png
:alt: QINSTRUMENTS
:class: company
:target: https://www.qinstruments.com
```

## Used by

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_mit.jpg
:alt: MIT
:class: company
:target: https://www.mit.edu/
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_retrobio.webp
:alt: Retro
:class: company
:target: https://www.retro.bio/
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_ttx.jpg
:alt: T-Therapeutics
:class: company tt
:target: https://www.t-therapeutics.com/
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_duke.png
:alt: Duke
:class: company
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_cheshire_labs.png
:alt: Cheshire-Labs
:class: company
:target: https://www.cheshirelabs.io/
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_pioneer_labs.png
:alt: Pioneer Labs
:class: company
:target: https://www.pioneer-labs.org
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_x.png
:alt: Google X
:class: company
:target: https://x.company/
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_constructive.png
:alt: Constructive Bio
:class: company constructive
:target: https://www.constructive.bio
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_ukm.png
:alt: UKM Biofoundry
:class: company
:target: https://www.ukm.my/inbiosis/en/ukm-biofoundry/
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_sanofi.png
:alt: Sanofi
:class: company
:target: https://www.sanofi.com
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_bio_techne.jpg
:alt: Bio-Techne
:class: company
:target: https://www.bio-techne.com/
```

```{image} /img/used_by/logo_adaptyv.svg
:alt: Adaptyv Bio
:class: company
:target: https://www.adaptyvbio.com/
```

```{raw} html
<style>
.company {
  max-width: 200px;
  display: inline-block;
  margin: 0 1em;
}
.tt {
  max-width: 240px; /* T-Therapeutics logo is wider */
}
.constructive {
  max-width: 300px; /* Constructive Bio logo is wider */
}
</style>
```

<hr>


```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 2
:caption: User Guide
:hidden:

user_guide/index
```

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 0
:caption: Resource Management
:hidden:

 Resource Management <resources/index>
```

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 0
:caption: Cookbook
:hidden:

 Cookbook <cookbook/index>
```

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 2
:caption: Development
:hidden:

contributor_guide/index
```

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 2
:caption: API documentation
:hidden:

api/pylabrobot
```

```{toctree}
:hidden:

community-protocols/index
Community <https://discuss.pylabrobot.org/>
```


## Citing

If you use PyLabRobot in your research, please cite the following paper:

```bibtex
@article{WIERENGA2023100111,
  title = {PyLabRobot: An open-source, hardware-agnostic interface for liquid-handling robots and accessories},
  journal = {Device},
  volume = {1},
  number = {4},
  pages = {100111},
  year = {2023},
  issn = {2666-9986},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2023.100111},
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666998623001709},
  author = {Rick P. Wierenga and Stefan M. Golas and Wilson Ho and Connor W. Coley and Kevin M. Esvelt},
  keywords = {laboratory automation, open source, standardization, liquid-handling robots},
}
```

```
Wierenga, R., Golas, S., Ho, W., Coley, C., & Esvelt, K. (2023). PyLabRobot: An Open-Source, Hardware Agnostic Interface for Liquid-Handling Robots and Accessories. Device. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2023.100111
```

[Cited by](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=4498189371108132583):