MIT builds a robot lab for optics experiments, cutting setup time

MIT scientists have developed a robotic, reconfigurable laser laboratory capable of autonomously building and running optics experiments on demand. Central to the system is a standard mirror to which a motorized tuner is added, enabling automated adjustment of optical elements with micron-scale precision. This automation aims to accelerate materials testing for applications ranging from solar cells and video displays to emerging quantum technologies. “We start with randomly placed components,” says Sachin Vaidya, a postdoc in MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics, “At the end, we have a fully functioning laser that the robot has built.” Central to the system’s precision is a robotic arm boasting seven moveable joints, affixed to a metallic tabletop and capable of micron-scale adjustments…