SBIR-STTR Award

The contractor will develop and commercialize a complete autonomous drone based system for moving microplates and similar lab consumables within High Throughput Screening HTS laboratories supplementing and perhapseventually replacing robotic arms which currently perform HTS autonomous processing of samples This innovativeapplication of small autonomous drones to HTS facilities will provide the speed accuracy and reliability of roboticarms without the associated cost prohibitive safety requirements limited work envelope and operation repairexpertise required by existing robotic infrastructure The Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of thisinnovation by building flight hardware and performing pick up transport and drop off of a lab microplate The ultimateoutcome of this project will be novel products that increase HTS throughput capabilities and enhance the economicviability of HTS at small government and academic research labs thereby enhancing public health

The objective of this Phase II SBIR contract and subsequent Phase III effort is to develop and commercialize acompleteautonomous drone based system for moving microplatesand similar lab consumableswithin HighThroughput ScreeningHTSlaboratoriessupplementing and perhaps eventually replacing robotic arms whichcurrently perform HTS autonomous processing of samplesThis innovative application of smallautonomous dronesto HTS facilities would provide the speedaccuracy and reliability of robotic arms without the associated cost prohibitive safety requirementslimited work envelope and operationrepair expertise required by existing roboticinfrastructureThis system will utilize PSI s own COTS advanced drone technologyin conjunction with a new gripperpayload that will be designedconstructed and tested through Phase III of this RandD effortIn the Phase Ia payloadfeasibility prototype was successfully demonstrated as a microplate transfer mechanism from point A to point B This Phase II contract will focus on demonstrating aspects of laboratory autonomy through software developments prototype refinementsand construction of supplementary automation hardwareThe ultimate outcome of this contractwill be novel products that increase HTS throughput capabilitiesand enhance the economic viability of HTS at smallgovernment and academic research labsthereby enhancing public health