'Let me pipette that for you'--ABB to design robotic lab helper

The Swiss-based robotics group ABB opened its first global healthcare research hub in the U.S. and unveiled a new concept robot that could assist laboratory staff with their day-to-day tasks. The YuMi robot is designed to help complete the time-consuming and mundane work found around the hospital lab: such as loading and unloading centrifuges, pipetting, sorting test tubes or preparing medicines. Equipped with two articulating arms and sensors that will allow it to navigate around lab desks and its human co-workers, the robot could also be used to dispense medicines or transport them throughout a hospital--as well as deliver bed linens and perform other logistical tasks, according to the company. The goal, of course, is to free up highly skilled lab employees and clinicians for other objectives. ABB thinks it can complete these repetitive tasks up to 50% faster than people working manually, while also being able to work 24 hours a day.