Speakers

Talk title: TBA

Abstract: 

Bio: Pulkit Agrawal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. He earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and his bachelor's degree from IIT Kanpur and was awarded the Director's Gold Medal. His work has received multiple Best Paper Awards, the IEEE Early Career Award in Robotics, the IROS Toshio Fukuda Young Professional Award, the IIT Kanpur Young Alumnus Award, the Sony Faculty Research Award, the Salesforce Research Award, the Amazon Research Award, the Signatures Fellow Award, the Fulbright Science and Technology Award, and others.

Talk title: The Living Laboratory: Fully Automated Science Powered by AI Agents and Physical AI

Abstract: We aim to realize a “Living Laboratory” by integrating experimental robots, AI agents, and physical AI, where biological research proceeds autonomously and scientific papers are generated continuously. While current laboratory automation mainly focuses on experimental execution, planning, preparation, and recovery (“Care”) still rely heavily on humans. We address this gap by tightly linking AI agents with physical AI to take on Care. Our approach assigns Planning Care to AI agents that translate natural language procedures into executable robotic workflows, generate consumable layouts and programs, and manage loop- and branch-rich experiments such as cell passaging. Operation Care is handled by Physical AI through a vision–language–action system that autonomously performs implicit tasks, validates programs in simulation, detects errors, and provides corrective suggestions in real time. At the Institute of Science Tokyo, we have established a centralized robotic facility integrating multiple experimental robots with VLA-enabled systems. In this talk, we will present our current progress toward the Living Laboratory, including system integration, AI-driven planning, and VLA-based operation in real laboratory environments.

Bio: Dr. Genki N. Kanda, Ph.D., PMP, is a Professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo, Medical Research Laboratory, Department of Robotic Science. He received his Ph.D. in Science from Osaka University in 2016. Since first encountering the Maholo LabDroid in 2015, Dr. Kanda has led research and implementation of laboratory automation in life sciences and regenerative medicine. In 2019, he founded the Laboratory Automation Suppliers’ Association (LASA) in Japan and continues to serve as its chairman, fostering industry–academia collaboration and community building.

Talk title: Distributed Intelligence in Embodied Self-Driving Laboratories

Abstract: Laboratory automation is rapidly expanding across both industrial and academic environments. This accelerated development is progressively revealing the strengths and limitations of automated systems, particularly with respect to the growing complexity of experimental workflows and the diversity of application domains. In the perspective of establishing fully functional, integrated closed-loop DMTA/L laboratories, it has become essential to carefully consider where and what kind of intelligence should be embedded in order to transform self-driving laboratories into a practical reality. At EPFL Swiss Cat+, we are developing a distributed intelligence laboratory model inspired by the architecture of the human body. This approach aims to enable adaptive, autonomous decision-making across interconnected laboratory components. During this conference, we will introduce the concept of Embodied Self-Driving Laboratories and present concrete applications and ongoing developments currently being carried out in our laboratory.

Bio: Dr. Pascal Miéville is Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland). Following training in physical chemistry at the University of Geneva and EPFL, he completed a PhD in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. After a period in the pharmaceutical industry working on the development of new MRI contrast agents, and subsequently leading the EPFL NMR platform, he has served since 2020 as the Operational Director of the Swiss Cat+ laboratory at EPFL. Dr. Miéville teaches mass spectrometry as well as robotized- and data-driven chemistry at EPFL. He is also Vice-President of the Competence Center in Analytical Chemistry and Toxicology, and co-founder and board member of the Association for Accelerated and Digitalized Chemistry.