Low-cost experimentation frameworks

Something I particularly like about SDL (self-driving labs) is that they are moving fast, and they are trying to pull learnings from different experiences in the past. biotech has a lot to show when it comes to automation, but so does Open Hardware initiatives, which have shown a specific focus on lowering price (open hardware projects focus on cutting costs).

Having a low-cost experimentation framework is part of the overarching approach to how to distribute knowledge and resources around SDL's (see 202504281112 SDL approach to distributed discovery). It is, to some extent, the same relationship between a personal computer and an HPC platform (overlap between HPC and SDL).

Low-cost experimentation may become crucial to train human resources (see: 202305251750 Open Hardware can transform access to lab equipment). Importantly, the skills required to be successful are transversal to disciplines, and will require a new way of tackling them at an educational level (universities, technical schools, etc.) (see: 202504281141 Roadblocks in the future of SDLs).