55474Automation for NHS LabsClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKWe are developing a new way to control robotics and deliver automation solutions. The goal is to be simple and pragmatic, covering a majority of automation needs with a fraction of the complexity of large PLCs, turn-key systems. We are targeting a gap in the market, where SMEs struggle to access widely-available automation solutions because the offerings from large PLCs are too complex and expensive for the needs of SMEs. The stress that COVID-19 has placed on NHS laboratories which analyse medical samples and support the frontline, has brought into sharp focus the simple fact that the NHS is not taking full advantage of available automation technologies.Within the laboratory environment, robotic handling of test samples will reduce risks to operators, increase throughput efficiencies and improve accuracy. We are developing two workstations using "cobots" — robots that work directly alongside NHS staff without the need for a safety cage, using image recognition technology to relate to their environment. Our solutions are self-calibrating and can be moved to different workbenches as required. The two workstations under development are (1) a sample labelling and sorting workstation for goods inwards and (2) a workstation for unscrewing sample caps and applying a stopper, reading for analysis. These workstations spare specialist, virology-trained NHS staff from the most mundane and repetitive tasks, allowing them to concentrate on their core contribution of laboratory analysis.