Modular material handling robot platform

A transport apparatus, comprising:

• a first base plate having a first position track, where the first base plate is configured to have at least one first linear drive component and/or at least one first power coupling component connected to a top side of the first base plate, where the first base plate is configured to be located inside a vacuum chamber;
• a second base plate having a second position track, where the second base plate is configured to have at least one second linear drive component and/or at least one second power coupling component connected to a top side of the second base plate, where the second base plate is configured to be located outside the vacuum chamber, where an end of the second base plate is aligned with an end of the first base plate and an end of the second position track is aligned with an end of the first position track to form a gap between the second position track and the first position track;
• a plurality of transport guides on the top side of the first base plate and on the top side of the second base plate;
• and
• a robot drive configured to move on the plurality of transport guides along the first position track and the second position track, the robot drive comprising a first position sensor configured to sense the first position track and the second position track and a second position sensor configured to sense the first position track and the second position track, the first position sensor being spaced from the second position sensor such that when the first position sensor engages the gap, the second position sensor senses a position of the robot drive on one of the first position track or the second position track and when the second position sensor engages the gap, the first position sensor senses the position of the robot drive on one of the first position track or the second position track, where a position of the robot drive on the first position track or the second position track is used to determine an operation of the robot drive;
• where an end of the first base plate comprises at least one alignment feature configured to align the end of the first base plate to an end of the second base plate, and where the first base plate comprises a seal between the inside of the vacuum chamber and the outside of the vacuum chamber.