alt Hacker NewsAny idea why they're they so expensive?
Replies
shpongled • 02/19/2025
There is a big range in both automation capabilities and prices.
We have a couple automation systems that are semi-custom - the robot can handle operation of highly specific, non-standard instruments that 99.9% of labs aren't running. Systems have to handle very accurate pipetting of small volumes (microliters), moving plates to different stations, heating, shaking, tracking barcodes, dispensing and racking fresh pipette tips, etc. Different protocols/experiments and workflows can require vastly different setups.
See something like:
[1] https://www.hamiltoncompany.com/automated-liquid-handling/pl...
[2] https://www.revvity.com/product/fontus-lh-standard-8-96-ruo-...
➕ show 1 reply
I've built microscopes intended to be installed inside workcells similar to what companies like Transcriptic built (https://www.transcriptic.com/). So my scope could be automated by the workcell automation components (robot arms, motors, conveyors, etc).
When I demo'd my scope (which is similar to a 3d printer, using low-cost steppers and other hobbyist-grade components) the CEO gave me feedback which was very educational. They couldn't build a system that used my style of components because a failure due to a component would bring the whole system down and require an expensive service call (along with expensive downtime for the user). Instead, their mech engineer would select extremely high quality components that had a very low probability of failure to minimize service calls and other expensive outages.
Unfortunately, the cost curve for reliability not pretty, to reduce mechanical failures to close to zero costs close to infinity dollars.
One of the reasons Google's book scanning was so scalable was their choice to build fairly simple, cheap, easy to maintain machines, and then build a lot of them, and train the scanning individuals to work with those machines quirks. Just like their clusters, they tolerate a much higher failure rate and build all sorts of engineering solutions where other groups would just buy 1 expensive device with a service contract.