ARChemist: Autonomous Robotic Chemistry System Architecture

-- Automated laboratory experiments have the potential to propel new discoveries, while increasing reproducibility and improving scientists' safety when handling dangerous materials. However, many automated laboratory workflows have not fully leveraged the remarkable advancements in robotics and digital lab equipment. As a result, most robotic systems used in the labs are programmed specifically for a single experiment, often relying on proprietary architectures or using unconventional hardware. In this work, we tackle this problem by proposing a novel robotic system architecture specifically designed with and for chemists, which allows the scientist to easily reconfigure their setup for new experiments. Specifically, the system's strength is its ability to combine together heterogeneous robotic platforms with standard laboratory equipment to create different experimental setups. Finally, we show how the architecture can be used for specific laboratory experiments through case studies such as solubility screening and crystallisation. I. INTRODUCTION Accelerating the discovery of new materials is important for industrial applications such as healthcare and energy production. This can be achieved through running long-term experiments autonomously, for example by increasing the use of robotic platforms in laboratories. In practice, this would accumulate more experiments in less time, and potentially minimise the scientists' exposure to harmful chemicals, reducing their repetitive tasks.