Planar Motor Transport and System for Scalable, Multi-Purpose Lab Automation with Distributed Control Architecture and Temporal Reservation Management

A method, comprising:

• ingesting input data that at least includes an order, device information, mover information, and temporal information for the order, into a system for automatically executing automated laboratory functions using a planar motor transport;
• processing the input data within a distributed control architecture that performs a temporal conflict check, creates temporal reservations for one or more movers having devices configured for processing, handling, and moving laboratory samples, and authorizes execution of the order;
• creating one or more workflow agents for executing the order;
• and
• executing the order on a planar motor surface of the planar motor transport,
• wherein the distributed control architecture controls an operation of the one or more movers along the x, y and z directions defined by the planar motor transport, and an operation of the devices configured with the one or more movers, to execute the order, the distributed control architecture having an autonomous execution layer that coordinates individual workflow instances in the automated laboratory functions that are performed by the one or more workflow agents.

A method, comprising:

• analyzing, within a distributed control architecture, information relative to automatically executing automated laboratory functions, the information at least including at least includes an order, device information, mover information, and temporal information for the order, wherein the automated laboratory functions are performed using a planar motor transport having a planar motor surface above which one or more hovering labware shuttles acting as movers are positioned, wherein the distributed control architecture performs a temporal conflict check, creates temporal reservations for one or more movers having devices configured for processing, handling, and moving laboratory samples, and authorizes execution of the order;
• instantiating one or more workflow agents that are configured to automatically execute the order in a plurality of workflow instances;
• and
• controlling an operation of the one or more movers along the x, y and z directions defined by the planar motor transport, and an operation of the devices configured with the one or more movers, in an autonomous execution layer that coordinates the plurality of individual workflow instances to perform the automated laboratory functions.