AUTOHIAM: Automated Robotic System for Hydrogel Infusion Additive Manufacturing Gen2&3

Abstract

Hydrogel Infusion Additive Manufacturing (HIAM) enables the fabrication of architected ceramics and metals by infusing printed hydrogels with metal salts, followed by thermal conversion. HIAM Gen2 reduces shrinkage through repeated infusion–precipitation cycles, but its labor-intensive workflow requires chemists to repeatedly enter safety-restricted nanomaterial labs, making the process time-consuming, tedious, and potentially hazardous.
We present AUTOHIAM, an open-source, chemist-friendly robotic platform that automates the HIAM workflow and can be easily adapted to other HIAM-like chemical processes without extensive programming. AUTOHIAM enables chemists to carry out HIAM experiments with any number of samples and cycles—day or night—without manual intervention or programming skills. It uses large language models to interact with users and determine the appropriate experimental protocol (e.g., Gen2 vs. Gen3), the number of cycles, and task sequencing. Equipped with vision-based pose estimation via ArUco markers and GPU-accelerated trajectory optimization (cuRobo), AUTOHIAM generates real-time, collision-free robot motions around lab equipment with simple geometric representations. This allows chemists to flexibly rearrange their workspace or add new obstacles without modifying code.
AUTOHIAM supports sample handling, pick-and-place with vision feedback, robot shaking for drying, and liquid transfer using a low-cost, Arduino-controlled peristaltic pump system. Infusion and precipitation conditions can be systematically varied to study their effects on shrinkage and material quality, with automated fluid delivery managed through 3D-printed tube supports and modular beaker mounts. The system is remotely operable and includes live camera monitoring for full experimental oversight. Tested on HIAM Gen2 workflows for metal-ceramic fabrication, AUTOHIAM achieved material performance comparable to human operation while dramatically improving safety, scalability, and throughput. Its mission is to empower chemists—regardless of robotics experience—to carry out complex, multi-step material synthesis autonomously and reproducibly.

Highlights

Full Video for HIAM Gen2

Full Video for HIAM Gen3

Standardized Hardware Components for Chemistry Lab

AUTOHIAM provides modular beaker support systems for reliable setup and vision-based control. Custom-designed beaker holders can be securely mounted onto standard Thorlabs aluminum breadboards, ensuring stable positioning during experiments. Some holders include built-in slots for ArUco markers, enabling precise vision-based pose estimation of beakers. AUTOHIAM also includes a modular beaker head with tube support, designed to work seamlessly with peristaltic pumps for automated liquid handling.

Robot Scientist Skills

AUTOHIAM includes a built-in shaking function for efficient sample drying. It can oscillate the robot’s end-effector at different frequencies and amplitudes. When the sample container is placed into a beaker filled with tissue or cotton, this gentle shaking helps dry the sample effectively—no additional setup needed. AUTOHIAM also supports both vision-based dynamic sample transfer using ArUco markers, and simple position-based transfer, giving users flexible and reliable automation options without any need for programming.

Automated Collision-Free Motion Planning for Chemistry Labs

AUTOHIAM makes robotic automation easy for chemists—no programming required. It uses powerful motion planning behind the scenes to move lab samples safely and smoothly. You can represent lab equipment as simple shapes—like boxes, cylinders, or spheres—and just enter where you want the robot to go. AUTOHIAM will take care of the rest, automatically generating collision-free motions to transfer your samples with precision to heat plate, beakers, and cool plate.

Vision-based Sample Handling

AUTOHIAM leverages perception-driven control for sample transfering among different chemical solutions. Even under disturbances, AUTOHIAM can accurately detect the position of the sample container and handle it for transfering accordingly.

Low-cost Peristaltic Pump System for Automatic Liquid Handling

To enable affordable and precise liquid handling, AUTOHIAM integrates a Gravity Digital Peristaltic Pump system costing just 35 CHF per unit. We designed and 3D-printed a custom pump support structure to neatly organize and stack multiple pumps. Each pump is connected to an Arduino board and controlled via Python for accurate timing—delivering approximately 1 mL of liquid every 2 seconds through 2.5 mm ID / 5 mm OD silicone tubing. The setup enables fluid transfer between beakers (secured with tube support structures), waste containers, and reagent bottles, supporting fully automated workflows at minimal cost.

BibTeX

@mastersthesis{zhuang2025autohiam,
  author    = {Zhuang, Shengyang}, {Yee, Daryl}
  title     = {AUTOHIAM: Automated Robotic System for Hydrogel Infusion Additive Manufacturing Gen2&3},
  school    = {EPFL},
  year      = {2025},
}