Supported Machines#

Liquid Handling#

Liquid Handling Workstations#

Manufacturer

Machine

Features

PLR-Support

Links

Hamilton

STAR(let)

arm

Full

PLR / OEM

Hamilton

Vantage

arm

Mostly

PLR / OEM

Hamilton

Prep

arm

WIP

OEM

Tecan

EVO

Basic

PLR / OEM

Opentrons

OT-2

Mostly

PLR / OEM

Pumps#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Cole Parmer

Masterflex L/S 07522-20 07522-30 07551-20 07551-30 07575-30 07575-40

Full

PLR / OEM

Agrowtek

Pump Array

Full

OEM


Material Handling#

Arms#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Brooks Automation

PreciseFlex 400

WIP

PLR / OEM

Centrifuges#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Agilent

VSpin

Mostly

PLR / OEM

Agilent

VSpin Access2 Loader

Full

PLR / OEM

Fans#

Manufacturer

Machine

Features

PLR-Support

Links

Hamilton

HEPA Fan

air filtration

Full

PLR

Heater Shakers#

Manufacturer

Machine

Features

PLR-Support

Links

Inheco

Thermoshake RM

heating

Full

PLR / OEM

Inheco

Thermoshake

heatingactive cooling

Full

PLR / OEM

Inheco

Thermoshake AC

heatingactive cooling

Mostly

PLR / OEM

Opentrons

Thermoshake

heating

Full

OEM

Hamilton

Heater Shaker

heating

Full

PLR / OEM

Incubators#

Manufacturer

Machine

Features

PLR-Support

Links

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Cytomat 6000

heating

Full

PLR / OEM

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Cytomat 6002

heating

Full

PLR / OEM

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Cytomat 2 C_50

heating

Full

PLR / OEM?

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Cytomat 2 C425

heatingactive cooling

Full

PLR / OEM

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Cytomat 2 C450_SHAKE

heatingshaking

Full

PLR / OEM

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Cytomat 5C

heating

Full

PLR / OEM

Thermo/Liconic

Heraeus Cytomat

heating

Full

PLR / OEM?

Inheco

Incubator Shaker (MTP/DWP)

heatingshaking

WIP

OEM

Peelers#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Azenta Life Sciences

XPeel

WIP

OEM

Sealers#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Azenta Life Sciences

a4S

Full

PLR / OEM

Thermocyclers#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Opentrons

Thermocycler

Full

OEM

Thermo Fisher Scientific

ATC

WIP

OEM

Thermo Fisher Scientific

ProFlex

WIP

OEM

Inheco

ODTC

WIP

OEM

Temperature Controllers#

Manufacturer

Machine

Features

PLR-Support

Links

Opentrons

Temperature Module

heatingactive cooling

Mostly

PLR / OEM

Inheco

CPAC

heatingactive cooling

WIP

OEM

Tilting#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Hamilton

Tilt Module

Full

PLR / OEM


Analytical Machines#

Plate Readers#

Manufacturer

Machine

Features

PLR-Support

Links

BMG Labtech

CLARIOstar

absorbancefluorescenceluminescence

Full

PLR / OEM

Agilent (BioTek)

Cytation 1

absorbancefluorescenceluminescencemicroscopy

Full

PLR / OEM

Agilent (BioTek)

Cytation 5

absorbancefluorescenceluminescencemicroscopy

Full

PLR / OEM

Byonoy

Absorbance 96 Automate

absorbance

WIP

OEM

Byonoy

Luminescence 96 Automate

luminescence

WIP

OEM

Flow Cytometers#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Beckman Coulter

CytoFLEX S

WIP

OEM

qPCR Machines#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Thermo Fisher Scientific

QuantStudio 5

WIP

OEM

Scales#

Manufacturer

Machine

PLR-Support

Links

Mettler Toledo

WXS205SDU

Full

PLR / OEM


Understanding the Tables#

Classifying lab automation equipment can be challenging. There are many reasons for this, including (but not limited to):

  • many machines have overlapping capabilities (the TFS Cytomat 2 C470 can be a fridge, heated chamber, oven, smart storage/plate hotel and shaker all in one machine!),

  • different user groups require varying levels of software integration but tend to only refer to the capabilities they use in that moment (e.g. what is a shaker to one group might be a heater to another),

  • balancing naming/classification based on user intuition/historic legacy and first principles, (e.g. a thermocycler is just a speedy heater/cooler but scientists are used to the term thermocycler)

  • there is no widely accepted naming standard.

PyLabRobot does not solve these human classification issues. But to provide some structure PyLabRobot classifies machines into three purposefully broad categories:

  • Liquid handling: Machines directly manipulating liquids.

  • Material handling: Machines handling materials other than liquids.

  • Analytical: Machines primarily responsible for performing measurements.

Table Columns Explained:

  • Features: Core capabilities provided by the machine.

  • PLR-Support: Indicates PyLabRobot integration status:

    • WIP: Work in progress.

    • Basics: Core functionalities available. Code integrated into pylabrobot:main. Documentation pages in docs.pylabrobot.org.

    • Mostly: Most capabilities available, but some known commands still missing.

    • Full: Comprehensive capabilities (≥90%) fully supported, extensive documentation available.

Note: PyLabRobot aims to provide access to all hardware-firmware capabilities available on integrated equipment, even beyond OEM software. This allows users to choose the machine functionalities they require.