Predictive instruction text with virtual lab representation highlighting

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with instructions executable by a processor comprising:

• instructions for receiving, by a lab automation system, an instruction from a user to perform a protocol within a lab via an interface including a graphical representation of the lab, the lab including a robot and set of lab equipment 3-D rendered within the graphical representation of the lab;
• instructions for identifying, by the lab automation system, that a portion of text of the received instruction is an ambiguous term by determining that the portion of the text is mapped to a piece of physical equipment that is not included within the lab;
• instructions for responsive to identifying the ambiguous term, cross-referencing a database of physical equipment within the lab with the portion of text to identify one or more variant pieces of equipment that correspond to the ambiguous term, wherein the variant pieces of equipment perform a same or similar functionality to the piece of physical equipment;
• instructions for modifying, by the lab automation system, the interface to include a predictive text interface element listing the one or more variant pieces of equipment corresponding to the ambiguous term;
• instructions for, upon a mouseover of a listed variant piece of equipment within the predictive text interface element, modifying, by the lab automation system, the graphical representation of the lab to highlight the 3-D rendered variant piece of equipment corresponding to the mouseover at a location within the graphical representation of the lab corresponding to a real-world location of the listed variant piece of equipment within the lab;
• and
• instructions for, upon a selection of the listed variant piece of equipment within the predictive text interface element, modifying, by the lab automation system, the instruction to include the listed variant piece of equipment.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• receive, by a lab automation system, an instruction from a user to perform a protocol within a lab via an interface including a graphical representation of the lab, the lab including a robot and set of lab equipment 3-D rendered within the graphical representation of the lab;
• identify, by the lab automation system, that a portion of text of the received instruction is an ambiguous term by determining that the portion of the text is mapped to a piece of physical equipment that is not included within the lab;
• responsive to identifying the ambiguous term, cross-reference a database of physical equipment within the lab with the portion of text to identify one or more variant pieces of equipment that correspond to the ambiguous term, wherein the variant pieces of equipment perform a same or similar functionality to the piece of physical equipment;
• modify, by the lab automation system, the interface to include a predictive text interface element listing the one or more variant pieces of equipment corresponding to the ambiguous term;
• upon a mouseover of a listed variant piece of equipment within the predictive text interface element, modify, by the lab automation system, the graphical representation of the lab to highlight the 3-D rendered variant piece of equipment corresponding to the mouseover at a location within the graphical representation of the lab corresponding to a real-world location of the listed variant piece of equipment within the lab;
• and
• upon a selection of the listed variant piece of equipment within the predictive text interface element, modify, by the lab automation system, the instruction to include the listed variant piece of equipment.