Robohub.org
 

Robots automate testing for bacteria, including coliforms


by
08 July 2014



share this:

About RobohubRobohub is an online platform that brings together leading communicators in robotics research, start-ups, business, and education from around the world. Learn more about us here. If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Taihei Environmental Science Center has developed a system that automatically performs water quality testing, and can detect bacteria such as E. coli. In the past, this work had to be done manually. The system uses three robots to completely automate all stages of the process, from collecting a predetermined amount of the sample, injecting agar, agitating, coagulating and inverting, to the placement and storage of the culture in incubators. This level of automation not only eliminates human error, substantially improving test accuracy, but it also increases processing capacity.

“Firstly, the system must be installed in an atmosphere completely free of bacteria. So, it is installed in a clean room. Only the air which passes through a 0.3-micron HEPA filter can enter the clean room, so the system is virtually free of bacteria. Due to this, the testing is done in an extremely clean environment.”

This system can perform the test 50% faster than conventional manual work, and can test 100 samples in two hours. All samples are managed using QR codes, eliminating human errors like mislabeling or taking the wrong sample. The current system is for detecting ordinary bacteria and E. coli in water, but it can be designed in a variety of configurations, so it could be used for other types of bacteria or various other testing applications.

“The system costs 25-35 million yen (US$250,000-350,000), but if users test a lot of samples, they can recover the cost in 5-10 years. In that case, this system could save users quite a lot of money. We do a lot of testing in the evening and at night, which has been a big burden on employees. This system has reduced that burden considerably, resulting in our staff being more cheerful and motivated. In other words, the best thing about this system is that it has made employees keen to become the driving force behind our company.”

Taihei is marketing this system to certified environmental surveyors and food manufacturers. They aim to sell 4-5 units during fiscal 2014. In the future, the company plans to extend sales to the global market.



tags: ,


DigInfo TV is a Tokyo-based online video news platform dedicated to producing original coverage of cutting edge technology, research and products from Japan.
DigInfo TV is a Tokyo-based online video news platform dedicated to producing original coverage of cutting edge technology, research and products from Japan.





Related posts :



Social media round-up from #IROS2025

  27 Oct 2025
Take a look at what participants got up to at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

Using generative AI to diversify virtual training grounds for robots

  24 Oct 2025
New tool from MIT CSAIL creates realistic virtual kitchens and living rooms where simulated robots can interact with models of real-world objects, scaling up training data for robot foundation models.

Robot Talk Episode 130 – Robots learning from humans, with Chad Jenkins

  24 Oct 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Chad Jenkins from University of Michigan about how robots can learn from people and assist us in our daily lives.

Robot Talk at the Smart City Robotics Competition

  22 Oct 2025
In a special bonus episode of the podcast, Claire chatted to competitors, exhibitors, and attendees at the Smart City Robotics Competition in Milton Keynes.

Robot Talk Episode 129 – Automating museum experiments, with Yuen Ting Chan

  17 Oct 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Yuen Ting Chan from Natural History Museum about using robots to automate molecular biology experiments.

What’s coming up at #IROS2025?

  15 Oct 2025
Find out what the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems has in store.

From sea to space, this robot is on a roll

  13 Oct 2025
Graduate students in the aptly named "RAD Lab" are working to improve RoboBall, the robot in an airbag.

Robot Talk Episode 128 – Making microrobots move, with Ali K. Hoshiar

  10 Oct 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Ali K. Hoshiar from University of Essex about how microrobots move and work together.



 

Robohub is supported by:




Would you like to learn how to tell impactful stories about your robot or AI system?


scicomm
training the next generation of science communicators in robotics & AI


 












©2025.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence