(Nature) – Researchers hope to build a facility with thousands of robots capable of performing experiments independently by 2040.

In a biology laboratory in Tokyo, ten robots conduct experiments, using their two arms to handle liquids, grow cells on plates and operate scientific instruments, among other basic tasks.

The Robotics Innovation Center at the Institute of Science Tokyo opened its automated laboratory in April. Later this year, the lab will be made available for use by other researchers at the institute, says Genki Kanda, an automation researcher who works at the robotics centre. He says that the lab’s ultimate goal is to create a “factory-scale” facility with thousands of robots that could be used by local and international scientists by 2040 or 2050. (Read More)