Lab Automation Orchestration

Orchestrate the whole workcell, not just one instrument.

Maestro turns a multi-instrument protocol into one coordinated run. Design it on a visual canvas, let the scheduler plan and dispatch every step, and run it across a Hub-and-Edge setup that drives each instrument and moves labware between them.

Orchestrates

A whole workcell

Hub-Edge

Central plan, local control

Live

Schedule that adapts

Hub online
Schedule compacting…
Hamilton STAR
Tecan Fluent
Plate reader
Transport

2 Edges connected · 4 instruments

Step 6 finished early → later steps pulled forward

Illustrative.

The difference

One assay is a workflow.
A whole lab is an orchestra.

A Workflow Wizard designs one assay on one liquid handler. Maestro is the layer above that — it takes a run that touches several instruments and a transport path and coordinates the whole thing, so the lab moves as one system instead of a chain of manual handoffs.

  • It plans the run

    Orders the steps, picks the devices, and reserves resources before anything starts.

  • It runs it across instruments

    Dispatches each step to the right Edge and keeps the instruments in sync.

  • It keeps it on track

    Compacts the schedule as steps finish, and recovers cleanly when something stumbles.

From canvas to coordinated run

1

Designer

Build the workflow, validate, publish a version.

2

Scheduler

Plan, reserve, dispatch — then compact as steps finish.

3

Hub & Edge

Instruments and transport run the published workflow.

Illustrative.

What it does

Everything it takes to run a workcell

Design, schedule, execute, and recover — the moving parts of a coordinated lab, in one place.

Visual workflow designer

Build a multi-instrument run on a drag-and-drop canvas from typed nodes — steps, timers, user prompts, decisions, and merges — then validate and publish a versioned, immutable definition.

Intelligent scheduler

Maestro plans the run from its dependency graph, decides which device handles each step, reserves the resources, and dispatches on demand — then compacts the schedule as steps finish to fill the gaps.

Conflict-aware resourcing

Resource conflicts are caught before they stall a run, and consecutive steps are pinned to the same device when that keeps labware moving.

Hub-and-Edge execution

A central Hub coordinates the run while Edge PCs sit next to the instruments and drive them through device drivers — staying in sync in real time and reconnecting cleanly if a link drops.

Labware transport

Coordinate mobile robots and transfer points to move plates and labware between stations and instruments across the workcell.

Branching, recovery & tracking

Route a run through conditional branches, rejoin parallel paths, recover from instrument errors, and keep a record of what ran, where, and when.

How it works

Plan it centrally. Run it locally.

You design and publish a workflow once. The scheduler turns it into a plan. The Hub coordinates that plan while Edge PCs — sitting right next to your instruments — carry it out. They stay in step in real time, and reconnect cleanly if a link drops.

  • Published workflows are versioned and immutable
  • Instruments connect through device drivers on the Edge
  • The schedule compacts itself as the run proceeds
  • Transport moves labware between stations as part of the run

The pipeline

Designer

Build & publish an immutable workflow

Scheduler

Plan · reserve · dispatch · compact

Maestro Hub

Coordinates the run in real time

Edge PCs

device drivers

Instruments

Hamilton, Tecan…

Transport

labware moves

In practice

How labs put Maestro to work

Run an assay end-to-end

Take a protocol that touches several instruments and run it as one coordinated workflow instead of a stack of manual handoffs.

Keep the workcell busy

As steps finish early, the scheduler compacts what is left and pulls later work forward to fill the gaps.

Branch a run on a result

Use a decision node to send a run down one path or another, then merge the parallel branches back together.

Move labware between stations

Hand plates between instruments with coordinated transport so a run does not wait on a person to carry them.

Recover from a hiccup

When a link drops or an instrument stumbles, the run pauses cleanly and picks back up instead of losing the whole schedule.

Publish a run you trust

Validate a workflow, publish an immutable version, and schedule that exact definition every time.

Why teams use it

Coordination, not just connection

Orchestrates

A whole workcell

Coordinates many instruments as one run — not a single liquid handler in isolation.

Hub-Edge

Central plan, local control

The Hub holds the plan; Edge PCs drive the instruments right next to them.

Live

A schedule that adapts

The scheduler compacts the run as steps complete, keeping instruments working.

Versioned

Publish what you validated

Published workflows are immutable — you schedule the exact definition you approved.

Fits your lab

Works with the instruments you already run

Maestro drives instruments through device drivers on the Edge — Hamilton Venus is one of them. It sits alongside the rest of the platform: Workflow Wizards design the assays, LIMS tracks the samples, and Maestro orchestrates the run across the bench.

  • Hamilton (incl. Venus), Tecan, Beckman, and more
  • Plate readers and other workcell instruments
  • Mobile robots and transfer points for labware transport
  • Add instruments incrementally as the workcell grows

One platform, distinct layers

Workflow Wizards

Design the assays

Integrated LIMS

Tracks the samples

Maestro

Orchestrates the run

Put the whole workcell on one conductor

Bring a multi-instrument run you do by hand today, and we'll show you what it looks like when Maestro plans and runs it for you.

Request Demo