Photo: Image generated by AI
A university in Tokyo has opened a laboratory where robots carry out medical experiments that were previously performed by human researchers, Kyodo News reported on May 10.
At the Institute of Science Tokyo, known as the “Center for Robotics Innovation,” there are currently 10 robots in operation, including a humanoid model. No human staff are present in the lab.
In the long term, the university plans to significantly expand the system, increasing the number of robots to around 2,000 by 2040 and integrating them with AI to automate nearly all research tasks.
The robots can perform complex laboratory work using two arms, including transferring precise amounts of reagents, operating temperature-controlled equipment, and handling materials in and out of devices. Tasks such as cell culturing are already fully automated.
Researchers say the system could eventually handle everything from hypothesis generation to experimental validation, while also reducing human error in laboratory work.
At the lab’s opening ceremony in mid-April, the robots even took part in the ribbon-cutting.
