The Development of Robotic Manipulator for Automated Test Tube

Abstract

In recent years, robotics has experienced significant development and widespread application across various manufacturing sectors. This progress has been driven by the integration of breakthroughs in technology such as artificial intelligence and computer vision, enabling robots to become more intelligent and adaptable when performing specific tasks. As a result, demand for integrating robots into human production and research activities has been accelerated. Specifically, in chemical-related industries, reducing or avoiding direct human contact with chemicals is essential for ensuring the safety of performers. In laboratory settings, automating tasks such as the arrangement of chemical tubes using robotic arms has emerged as a solution to enhance safety and save time for researchers. Building upon this concept, this paper presents a robotic system that serves as a laboratory assistant for arranging centrifuge tubes into trays. The system is composed of a 5-degree-of-freedom robot arm, Reactor X-150, alongside depth camera D435 and computer vision model YOLOv8. By collecting image recognition information from YOLOv8 and analyzing it in conjunction with depth camera data, the system determines the position and orientation of the tube, which is then transmitted to the robot for the arrangement process. This integrated approach aims to improve safety in handling centrifugation experiments.