Mobile laboratory robot: driving and gripping, not just transporting

Which shift do you still want to run by hand in future?

That question decides more about laboratory automation than any device specification. During the day there are people who can step in flexibly. On the late and night shift there are not — and that is exactly where waiting times, turnaround delays and overtime appear.

The market has two half-answers to this: mobile robots without an arm, and robot arms without wheels. Mobile manipulation — driving and gripping — is a space almost nobody occupies.

Our answer: uLab Mobile, a mobile laboratory robot with an arm. It does not only transport, it processes: picking up, decapping, scanning, sorting, loading devices. And it does so in the laboratory you already have.

What a mobile laboratory robot does

A mobile laboratory robot is an autonomous vehicle with a robot arm that does not merely move samples and consumables but handles them. uLab Mobile combines autonomous navigation with gripping and recognition, orchestrated through the uGo+ platform.

• Sample processing: capping and decapping, barcode reading, rack handling, archiving, handling of reagents and consumables
• Device integration: loading centrifuges, integrating refrigerators, operating pneumatic tube systems, opening automatic doors, using lifts
• More than 30 laboratory device integrations from clinical chemistry through haematology to TLA/TTA
• Workflow instead of single step: tasks are chained into workflows; priorities adapt to sample volume and workload
• Evidence: every task documented and visible in uGo+

Key technical data for uLab Mobile

• Dimensions: 800 (L) × 580 (W) × 1,905 (H) mm
• Weight without load: approx. 130 kg, depending on configuration
• Ground clearance: 25–28 mm
• Maximum working height: 2,000 mm
• Top speed: 2.0 m/s
• Battery life: 5–6 hours; with intelligent opportunity charging during working hours, 24/7 operation is possible
• Minimum aisle width: 900 mm
• Conformity: CE declaration of conformity under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, CE ISO 3691-4 and ISO 13482

What we do not promise

uLab Mobile is not a laboratory line and does not replace one. It is slower than a fixed automation module that performs a single task a thousand times a day. It needs defined workflows, not improvisation. And it does not replace laboratory technicians — it takes over the repeatable parts of their work so that the difficult parts get the time they need.

Your robot. Your data.

A robot working in your organisation sees and hears things that are nobody’s business outside it. That is why the AI processing runs on the device and not in someone else’s cloud. A permanent internet connection is not required for operation — closed hospital, care and laboratory networks are possible. What is created with you stays with you: you decide on storage, analysis and deletion. Through uGo+ you define who may start which tasks, and mission reports are auditable — the basis for a data protection impact assessment, for the works council and for the authorities.

Buy or rent: Robot-as-a-Service

You can buy or rent as Robot-as-a-Service. With rental you pay a recurring monthly rate covering hardware, software maintenance and service together — from the operating budget instead of the capital budget. This is the usual route for a pilot and for a step-by-step rollout across several sites.

An honest note: rental is not automatically cheaper than purchase — it shifts risk and timing. What adds up for your organisation depends on term, quantity, funding options and budget structure. We work through that openly with you in the first conversation instead of selling you a model. We do not publish prices, because configuration and integration scope decide the outcome — a figure without that context would be misleading.

Why us

• More than 500 units in daily operation in hospitals and laboratories — not a pilot promise but shift work.
• More than 20,000 robots in use across all product lines — 15 years of experience with people who work alongside robots.
• uGo+ as one interface for tasks, permissions, analysis and fleet — across several sites too.
• Manufacturer, not reseller. Development, integration and service come from us.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between uLab Mobile and a transport robot?

A transport robot drives. uLab Mobile drives and grips: it picks up samples, opens and closes tubes, reads barcodes, operates centrifuges and loads analysers. It works on processes, not just routes.

How many laboratory devices does the system work with?

More than 30 integrations across clinical chemistry and immunoassay, haemostasis, haematology, immunohaematology, centrifuges and refrigerators as well as TLA/TTA environments. Which devices are connected in your laboratory is clarified before the quotation.

Does the laboratory need rebuilding?

No. The system works in aisles from 900 mm wide and operates your existing devices. Pneumatic tube systems, automatic doors, refrigerators and lifts can also be integrated.

Does the robot run around the clock?

Battery life is 5 to 6 hours; with intelligent opportunity charging during working hours, 24/7 operation is possible.

Is the system certified?

There is a CE declaration of conformity under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, plus CE ISO 3691-4 and ISO 13482.

The next step

A first conversation takes twenty minutes. Afterwards you will know whether deployment adds up in your organisation — and if it does not, we will say so. Get in touch through the contact form or directly with your contact person.

Sources: OECD, Health at a Glance: Europe 2024 · Federal Statistical Office of Germany, care workforce projection, press release of 23 January 2024 · German Economic Institute, MINT Spring Report 2026.