Assessment of the Utilization of Quadruped Robots in Pharmaceutical Research and Development Laboratories

Abstract

Drug development is becoming more and more complex and resource-intensive. To reduce the costs and the time-to-market, the pharmaceutical industry employs cutting-edge automation solutions. Supportive robotics technologies, such as stationary and mobile manipulators, exist in various laboratory settings. However, they still lack the mobility and dexterity to navigate and operate in human-centered environments. We evaluate the feasibility of quadruped robots for the specific use case of remote inspection, utilizing the out-of-the-box capabilities of Boston Dynamics' Spot platform. We also provide an outlook on the newest technological advancements and the future applications these are anticipated to enable.