{"stable_id":"535dcf1aea9a1411","slug":"liverpool-mobile-robotic-chemist","company":"University of Liverpool","workflow_name":"Mobile robotic chemist with Bayesian experiment selection","function_code":"engineering","pattern_codes":["autonomous_with_backstop"],"changed_assumption":"A robot can automate researcher-facing lab work when search and safety are bounded.","evidence_strength":"verified","publication_tier":"showcase","freshness":"current","reviewed_at":"2026-08-23","updated_at":"2026-08-22","source_quality_summary":"1 peer reviewed, 1 primary; publication outcomes are verified.","caveat_summary":"Laboratory proof of concept, not a production deployment; 11 results were discarded.","freshness_caveat":null,"workflow_summary":{"before":[{"actor":"Human chemist","action":"Chooses formulations, prepares samples, operates instruments, records results, and decides the next experiment.","actor_type":"human"},{"actor":"Human researcher","action":"Interprets results and updates the experimental plan.","actor_type":"human"}],"hinge":"A robot can automate researcher-facing lab work when search and safety are bounded.","after":[{"actor":"Batched Bayesian search algorithm","action":"Selects the next batch from prior measured outcomes.","actor_type":"ai"},{"actor":"Mobile robot","action":"Navigates the lab, dispenses materials, runs photolysis and chromatography, and returns measurements.","actor_type":"ai"}],"decision_mode":"bounded_autonomy","decision_marker":"AI acts within a human backstop"},"before":[{"order":1,"actor":"Human chemist","action":"Chooses formulations, prepares samples, operates instruments, records results, and decides the next experiment.","handoff_to":"Next experimental batch","control":"Laboratory safety and researcher judgment; authors describe manual search as constrained but provide no measured manual baseline."},{"order":2,"actor":"Human researcher","action":"Interprets results and updates the experimental plan.","handoff_to":"Sample preparation","control":"Manual trial-and-error across a ten-variable space."}],"after":[{"order":1,"actor":"Batched Bayesian search algorithm","action":"Selects the next batch from prior measured outcomes.","handoff_to":"Mobile robot schedule","control":"Ten-variable bounded search; oxygen and workflow checks discard faulty results."},{"order":2,"actor":"Mobile robot","action":"Navigates the lab, dispenses materials, runs photolysis and chromatography, and returns measurements.","handoff_to":"Search algorithm and researchers","control":"Collaborative-robot safety standards; 11 results discarded for workflow errors or high oxygen."}],"decision_rights":"Researchers set the problem and safety envelope; the system selects and executes experiments within it.","exception_path":"Faulty seals, high oxygen, workflow errors, or hardware issues are flagged/discarded for human attention.","removed_work":["Repetitive sample handling","Manual instrument transfers","Manual next-experiment scheduling"],"outcomes":[{"metric":"Autonomous search","baseline":"Initial catalyst formulations","result":"688 experiments in eight days; best mixture six times more active","period":"172 operating hours across eight days","scale":"Ten-variable photocatalyst search; 319 moves and 6,500 manipulations","attribution_caveat":"Laboratory proof of concept, not a production deployment; 11 results were discarded.","evidence_label":"verified"}],"executive_lesson":"The operating-model hinge is linking experiment choice, physical execution, measurement, and fault handling.","anti_pattern":"Do not generalize one autonomous experiment to unsupervised general chemistry.","questions_for_leaders":["Where is the operating threshold set and who can override it?","What measured result would trigger rollback or retraining?","Which residual decisions must remain human-owned?"],"collections":[],"bundle_version":"1.0.0","bundle_fingerprint":"sha256:c23c6cc2b88153d008ea8fda928f632ce0011fc2d4c5036672a16e5d895bab93","canonical_url":"https://brianletort.ai/transformations/liverpool-mobile-robotic-chemist"}