Robodesign International, Inc.

Other

Agjunction LLC

Let 's Go Robotics, Inc.

Pyxis Corporation

Structural Genomix, Inc.

Rigaku Automation, Inc.

Brian L Ganz

John Andrew Moulds

Christopher T Brovold

John Andrew Adams

David A Jewell

Mandel W Mickley

James Hutchings

Nicholas Pratte

James A Benjamin

John N Hoffman

Charles D Syverson

Joseph S Gottlieb

Chritopher T Brovold

Janet M Newman

Chinapong Songchan

Benjamin Mike Liedblad

Erik Barnes

Steven R Miller

Paul Dewey

Steve Miller

Janet Newman

Andrew Moulds

Jon A Christopher

Richard Roberts

Jason Kovach

Andrew Provost

Thomas E Vomdran

Anthony L Moore

Henry Thiemann

Raymond Mortimer

David W Jewell

A steering controller can control steering of a vehicle and is suitable for precision farm controlling. The steering controller can rotate the steering shaft of the vehicle direct the vehicle on a desired path, for example, using a satellite positioning system. Components of the steering controller are environmental protected by a housing that has an opening extending between its front and rear surfaces. The opening is lined by a shaft. A hub located near the front of the opening can be coupled to the steering shaft of the vehicle. A motor has a stator fixed to the housing and a rotor fixed to the hub. When the housing is attached to a fixed location on the vehicle, the motor can rotate the steering shaft by rotating the hub with respect to the housing. A control module drives the motor based on commands from a guidance module.

Steering controller for precision farming

A remote control system for controlling a vehicle with a smart phone. The system includes the smart phone programmed with an application that can be installed in the phone via a computer or downloaded from the Internet. The system also includes the vehicle that has been equipped with a radio antenna adapted for communication with the smart phone, an electric power source, servo controller drive motor and a programmable microcontroller (including sensors) and a servo controller steering motor.

Method and system for controlling a vehicle with a smartphone

A robotic gripper. Each of two gripper fingers is attached to a bearing carriage. Each bearing carriage defines a rack gear and is adapted to ride on a bearing rail. A single pinion gear has two gear elements. Each of the two gear elements are meshed with one of the two rack gears so as to drive the two bearing carriages in opposite direction upon rotation of the pinion gear. A worm gear is fixed to the single pinion gear. A worm screw is meshed to the worm gear and adapted to cause rotation of the worm gear and the single pinion gear and a gripping action or a releasing action of the two gripping fingers, depending on the rotation of the worm screw. A motor is adapted to drive the worm screw in a first rotary direction and a second rotary direction.

Robotic gripper

An automated micro-well plate handling device for removing a micro-well plate from within a vertically stacked plurality of micro-well plates and transferring the removable micro-well plate to a receiving area. A vertical storage device for storing the vertically stacked plurality of micro-well plates creates a vertical clearance space between the vertically stacked micro-well plates. A shovel slides into the vertical clearance space underneath the micro-well plate that is being removed. The shovel then removes the micro-well plate from the vertical storage device and places the micro-well plate at a transfer station. A gripper then grabs the micro-well plate from the transfer station and transfers the micro-well plate to a receiving area. In a preferred embodiment, the automated micro-well plate handling device is controlled via a computer network.

Automated micro-well plate handling device

An automated machine for transferring solution from a source microwell plate to a destination microwell plate. A plurality of pins is used for transferring the solution. The pins are attached to pin assemblies. The pin assemblies are attached to the circumference of a circular dial that is rotatably connected to the automated machine. The circular dial rotates the pins form a solution removal position to a solution transfer position and then to a pin cleaning position. Solution is removed from individual wells at the solution removal position and the solution is transferred to individual wells at the solution transfer position. The pins are cleaned at the pin cleaning position. A computer is programmed to control the automated machine and the transfer of solution. In a preferred embodiment, the computer is programmed to: 1) execute a saved transfer list, 2) accept a customized input list from an operator, 3) execute the customized input list, and 4) save the customized input list for later execution. In a preferred embodiment, the automated machine is utilized for transferring variable volumes of solution from the source microwell plate to the destination microwell plate.

Automated machine for transferring solution from a source microwell plate to a destination microwell plate

A liquid dispensing device. The liquid dispensing device has a tray for holding a liquid at a relatively constant level. A syringe is used for drawing fluid from the tray. A liquid container containing a liquid is positioned upside-down in the tray. Atmospheric pressure on the liquid in the tray and a vacuum inside the liquid container prevents liquid from draining from the container except when the liquid level in the tray drops to a level sufficient to allow air into the liquid container and to allow fluid to flow from the liquid container into the tray. The fluid flows from the liquid container into the tray until the level of liquid in the tray returns to the relatively constant level. The positioning of the syringe for drawing fluid is simplified in that the level of fluid in the tray is maintained at an approximately constant level despite withdrawal of quantities of fluid from the tray.

Liquid dispensing device

A device for inspecting microscopic objects. A plurality of LEDS is arranged in an array underneath a lens. Some of the LEDS are lighted and some of the LEDS are unlighted. A computer is in control of the LED array. The computer turns on selected LEDS from the array to form the lighted LEDS. Also, the computer turns off selected LEDS from the array to form the unlighted LEDS. The lighted LEDS form a pattern of lighted LEDS underneath the lens. In a preferred embodiment, the lens is connected to a computer controlled camera and the microscopic objects are microscopic crystals.

Computer controllable LED light source for device for inspecting microscopic objects

A liquid dispensing device. The liquid dispensing device has a tray for holding a liquid at a relatively constant level. A syringe is used for drawing fluid from the tray. A liquid container containing a liquid is positioned upside-down in the tray such that the opening of the liquid container defines a vertical position that is slightly below the liquid level in the tray. Atmospheric pressure on the liquid in the tray and a vacuum inside the liquid container prevents liquid from draining from the container until the fluid level in the tray drops to a level approximately equal to the vertical position of the opening. The positioning of the syringe for drawing fluid is simplified by reason of the fact that the level of fluid in the tray is maintained at an approximately constant level despite withdrawal of quantities of fluid from the tray.

A device and method for the automated storage and retrieval of trays holding subject matter. A computer system is programmed to control a storage gantry to move the trays between a storage rack and an automated machine. In a preferred embodiment, the subject matter in the trays is a plurality of micro-well plates in which microscopic crystals may be growing and the automated machine is configured to inspect and classify microscopic crystals. The automated machine has an indexing device for sequentially placing microscopic crystals in camera-view of a camera and a control computer is programmed to control the indexing device and to cause the camera to take images of the microscopic crystals and then transfer the images to a classifying processor where the images are classified. In a preferred embodiment, the microscopic crystals are protein crystals that have been grown in the wells of micro-well plates.

Automated storage and retrieval device and method

An environmental data recorder for recording environmental factors acting on micro-well plates. The environmental data recorder has sensors for sensing environmental factors and it has a microcontroller programmed to receive and process inputs from the sensors. The sensors and microcontroller are housed in a recorder housing unit. The recording housing unit has exterior dimensions that are approximately equal to the exterior dimensions of the micro-well plates enabling the recorder housing unit to be handled by the same robotic device handling the micro-well plates. In a preferred embodiment, the environmental data recorder's sensors are a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and an accelerometer.

Environmental data recorder for micro-well plate

A microarrayer for spotting solution onto a receiving surface in an automated microarray dispensing device. Elements of the present invention include: at least one dispense head for spotting the receiving surface, at least one light source capable of illuminating the receiving surface, at least one camera operating in conjunction with the at least one light source. The at least one camera is capable of acquiring and transmitting surface image data to a computer. The computer is programmed to receive the surface image data and analyze it. The computer will then generate post analysis data based on the analysis of the surface image data. The post analysis data is available for improving the spotting of the solution onto the receiving surface. In a preferred embodiment, the surface image data includes information relating to receiving surface alignment, information relating to spot quality, and receiving surface identification information. In a preferred embodiment, the analysis of the information relating to receiving surface alignment enables the computer to make automatic adjustments to the relative positions of the at least one dispense head and the receiving surface to increase the accuracy of the spotting. In a preferred embodiment, the analysis of the information relating to spot quality identifies a spot as pass or fail. An operator is then able to rework the spot. In a preferred embodiment, the analysis of the receiving surface identification information enables the computer to track each receiving surface. In a preferred embodiment the receiving surface is a plurality of slides.

Microarray dispensing with real-time verification and inspection

A method and device for inspecting and classifying a plurality of microscopic crystals. An indexing device sequentially places microscopic crystals in camera-view of a camera. The camera takes images of the microscopic crystals and then transfers the images to a computer where the are received. The computer then classifies the images. The computer is also programmed to control the indexing device and the camera. In a preferred embodiment, the microscopic crystals are protein crystals that have been grown in the wells of micro-well plates. Also, preferably, the computer is programmed to automatically classify the images.

Automated verification and inspection device for sequentially inspecting microscopic crystals

A high capacity microarrayer for spotting solution onto slides in an automated microarray dispensing device. A microplate indexing device automatically moves, in sequence, a plurality of microplates to a solution removal area. A dispense head accesses each microplate at the solution removal area to remove solution from the microplate. The dispense head then moves to a slide positioning station to spot slides at the slide positioning station. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the microplate indexing station has at least one input stacking chamber for stacking microplates, and at least one output stacking chamber for stacking microplates. A walking beam indexer is disposed between the at least one input stacking chamber and the at least one output stacking chamber. The walking beam indexer is for moving microplates from said at least one input stacking chamber to said at least one output stacking chamber. While at the solution removal area, a lid lifter lifts the lid off each microplate to permit the microplate to be accessed by the dispense head for solution removal. After the solution is removed, the lid lifter replaces the lid. In another preferred embodiment, there is at least one light source capable of illuminating the slides, and at least one camera operating in conjunction with the at least one light source. The at least one camera is capable of acquiring and transmitting slide image data to a computer. The computer is programmed to receive the slide image and analyze it. The computer will then generate post analysis data based on the analysis of the slide image data. The post analysis data is available for improving the spotting of the solution onto the slides. In a preferred embodiment, the slide image data includes information relating to slide alignment, information relating to spot quality, and slide identification information. In a preferred embodiment, the analysis of the information relating to slide alignment enables the computer to make automatic adjustments to the relative positions of the at least one dispense head and the slides to increase the accuracy of the spotting. In a preferred embodiment, the analysis of the information relating to spot quality identifies a spot as pass or fail. An operator is then able to rework the spot. In a preferred embodiment, the analysis of the slide identification information enables the computer to track each slide.

High capacity microarray dispensing

A wind propelled vehicle. The wind propelled vehicle has a frame. A plurality of wheels is connected to the frame. A mast is connected to the frame and a boom is connected to the mast. A sail is connected to the mast. A motor is operably connected to the boom via a string. The string has a boom end and a motor end. The string is connected to the boom at the boom end and the string is connected to the motor at the motor end. The motor is remotely controlled via a remote control unit. To propel the wind propelled vehicle the motor manipulates the boom in response to control signals generated by the remote control unit to adjust the sail relative to wind. In a preferred embodiment the sail is a rigid wing sail.

Growing community of inventors

Carlsbad, CA, United States of America

Brian L Ganz