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Last updated
Short answer
Lab automation, also called laboratory automation, is the use of robotics and software to run laboratory work with less manual handling. SLAS says the field increasingly integrates robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence across drug development, biotech, manufacturing and academic research. Two separate standards layers help automated systems work together: a physical one for labware and a communication one for instruments.
What lab automation covers
The same field appears under several names: laboratory automation, the automated lab, laboratory robotics, lab automation systems and automated laboratory systems. They all describe instruments, robots and control software that carry out steps of laboratory work, from a single automated instrument to several devices linked into one automated workflow.
The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) is the secretariat of the ANSI SLAS 1 microplate standard. It was formed in July 2010 when the Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS) merged with the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA). In its 28 January 2026 news release, SLAS said automation training is “often fragmented and institution-specific,” and announced a $199,884 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation toward a project titled “Standards for Automated Science Education.”
Why standards exist: the origin of ANSI/SLAS 1
The foreword of ANSI SLAS 1-2004 (R2012), Microplates – Footprint Dimensions (formerly ANSI/SBS 1-2004), explains the problem. In late 1995, SBS members began work on dimensional standards for the 96-well microplate because dimensions varied between vendors and even within one vendor’s catalog line. That variation, the standard says, “often caused numerous problems when microplates were to be used in automated laboratory instrumentation.” The initial standard was presented to SBS members in October 1996 in Basel, Switzerland.
The committee that wrote it drew on three interest groups: 10 manufacturers of microplates, 8 manufacturers of instrumentation that uses microplates, and 4 users. Hamilton Co, Tecan and Thermo Electron appear among the participants. Automation standards in this field were therefore set jointly by the makers of the plates and the makers of the machines that handle them.
How instruments fit together: two layers
The two documents above cover different layers, and each answers a different question.
Layer 1: physical interchange (ANSI/SLAS 1)
ANSI SLAS 1-2004 (R2012) defines the footprint of a microplate. Measured within 12.7 mm of the corners, the footprint is 127.76 mm long and 85.48 mm wide, each with a tolerance of ±0.25 mm. Measured at any point along the side, the tolerance is ±0.5 mm, the footprint must be continuous and uninterrupted around the base of the plate, and the corner radius is 3.18 mm ±1.6 mm. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions apply at 20 °C. The standard defines “the dimensional requirements of the footprint of a microplate” and nothing about how a device communicates. For plate formats and dimensions, see 96-well plate dimensions and what is a microplate.
Layer 2: communication (SiLA 2)
SiLA 2 is a standard for connecting lab devices so that automated workflows can run across them. Instruments and software expose capabilities as Features; each Feature exposes Commands that can be called and Properties that can be read. One SiLA client can access many SiLA servers once connected. The core and mapping specifications are written and maintained by the SiLA 2 Working Group. SiLA 2 runs over HTTP/2 and uses Protocol Buffers to serialize payload data, relying on the wire format specified by gRPC.
Types of automation components
This table lists the components that the standards and SLAS describe.
| Component | What the standards and SLAS say |
|---|---|
| Labware (microplates) | Footprint defined by ANSI/SLAS 1 so plates suit automated instruments |
| Instruments and devices | Expose capabilities as SiLA 2 Features, used through Commands and Properties |
| Control software | A SiLA client can access many servers to run a workflow across devices |
| Robotics, machine learning and AI | Named by SLAS as what laboratory automation increasingly integrates |
An individual instrument covered elsewhere on CASRAI is the plate reader.
What to check before specifying a system
This checklist follows from the two standards. It does not rank products or give purchasing advice beyond what they state.
- Labware footprint. Does the plate conform to ANSI/SLAS 1 (127.76 mm × 85.48 mm, ±0.25 mm near the corners)? Variation in dimensions is the problem the standard was written to address.
- Device communication. Does each instrument expose its functions as SiLA 2 Features, so one client can work with many servers?
- Results destination. Which system receives the data afterwards? Compare options in the LIMS software comparison.
- Consumables and stock. Track the plates and tips the workflow consumes; see the laboratory inventory management software comparison and the pipette tips selection guide.
Common misunderstandings
Automation means a robot arm
SLAS describes the field as integrating robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, so the physical robot is one part of a broader system.
A footprint standard makes devices work together
ANSI/SLAS 1 only defines the dimensions of the plate. It says nothing about communication, which is the job of a separate standard such as SiLA 2. A plate that fits an instrument does not mean the instrument can be controlled by the same software as another.
Standards make everything plug-and-play
Each standard covers one layer. Meeting one does not guarantee the other, so each is a separate check.
FAQ
What is lab automation?
It is the use of robotics, software and related technology to carry out laboratory work. SLAS describes it as increasingly integrating robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence across drug development, biotech, manufacturing and academic research.
Is laboratory automation the same as laboratory robotics?
The terms are used for the same field. SLAS’s wording places robotics as one of several technologies that laboratory automation integrates, alongside machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Which standard defines microplate dimensions for automation?
ANSI SLAS 1-2004 (R2012), formerly ANSI/SBS 1-2004, defines the footprint of a microplate: 127.76 mm × 85.48 mm.
Which standard lets lab devices communicate?
SiLA 2 is a standard for connecting lab devices so automated workflows can run across them. It is separate from the microplate footprint standard.
Does a plate that meets ANSI/SLAS 1 work with any instrument?
The standard covers only the plate’s footprint dimensions. It does not address communication or software control, so those need separate checks.
Sources
All sources were checked on 29 October 2026.
