About This Project
The propagation of ecologically important plants is used for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. However, being commercially unappealing and time consuming, most plant nurseries don't produce them in sufficient numbers. Our project aims to develop an open, affordable, and modular system to automate the re-potting stage of seedling propagation at scale.
Our project starts with the Maqui, and will continue by adding diverse native plant species with ecological impact. 💖🪴🤖
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
At the Open Automation Club, we had a presentation by a plant researcher who was decrying the lack of automation for plant research and its low accessibility.
We are a group of technologists who thrive on automation, but generally in the realm of microbiology rather than plant biology. Several of us have lab robots, either the open source Jubilee and OLA robots, or the Opentrons OT-2, and we decided that they are a decent platform for some aspects of plant propagation. We have computer vision expertise on the team, though, and have worked with robotic arm manipulators before.
Our final goal is to tackle the automation of all stages of plant propagation. We will start by focusing on automating the re-potting stage, which consists of moving a young seedling to a larger pot. It is a more approachable goal, and a more widely used technique outside of the lab; such as home gardens and plant nurseries.
What is the significance of this project?
The specific target of our project, the Maqui, also known as the Chilean wineberry, is of ecological significance in Patagonia. It is also considered beneficial for human health, and is cultivated worldwide. We see it as a good model plant to work with: it is available at all our locations, and will grow fast enough for our timeline.
While plants are very diverse, we believe that the robot manipulator will be relatively easy to generalize. Beyond Maqui, this technology scales to broader applications - revitalizing fire-damaged ecosystems, stabilizing soil, and enabling biodiversity recovery with precision and efficiency.
The significance of our project lies in the vast application scope of an open source robot manipulator, assisted by a computer vision system, and with force-sensitive effectors to handle plants without breaking them. All outputs will be released and documented as open source, and will form a sound technological base for future projects.
What are the goals of the project?
Our general objective is to make automation technology more accessible worldwide, such that people from all contexts and backgrounds can use it when it matters. In this case, we want to automate the propagation of Maqui plants as a stepping stone to generalized use in the conservation of ecosystems, through propagation and more techniques.
To maximize its impact, we are making an open system that can be used by a diversity of robots, which already exists in labs around the world.
With this in mind, we set out to:
🪴 Make a gripper tool that can gently manipulate seedlings and re-pot them.
🌿 Develop a computer vision program that can find the plants with a camera, and guide the gripper to them.
🤖 Adapt the gripper to a universal tool-changer, making it compatible with several existing robots.
💖 Grow and re-pot Maquis with a fully open-source and more affordable automation system.
To remain accessible, we aim to stay under $500 per robot for others building for themselves.
Budget
This budget will help us get started quickly, and focus early on the harder problem of automating re-potting.
We will prioritize acquiring open-source parts and components, that are easier to adapt to new applications. For instance, the candidate robot arms and cameras we like the most are open hardware.
A small amount is meant to source plant material (i.e. Maqui seeds), and parts to make the plants happy. We might also try out the machine with more plants near the end of the project.
We have also included budget categories for manufacturing consumables and generic parts. We will need them to develop and prototype a gentle gripper for the Maqui seedlings, and an adapter for the cameras that will image them.
Speaking of which, our robots are all different! We have a Jubilee in europe, an OT2 in North America, and OLA's Pipettin-bot in South America. We have added budget categories to work on tool-changer adapters between them and the new arm tool.
Endorsed by
Project Timeline
This timeline starts on March, when development begins, and ends a year later with a reproducible and well documented system for automated plant re-potting.
We will start with synthetic plant models and later move on to the Maqui seeds.
We aim to work as efficiently as possible, but we must expect the unexpected. Just in case, we have added a small time overhead to each Milestone, especially because this is a distributed team, with at least 3 locations across Europe and The Americas.
Jan 18, 2025
Project Launched
Apr 30, 2025
Get seeds, get gripper components, hardware pieces
May 31, 2025
Tool-changer mount design and Gripper development
Sep 15, 2025
Seminar day to share proof of concepts
Nov 30, 2025
Gripper force feedback mechanism
Meet the Team
Affiliates
Team Bio
We are a team of hardware folks who were assembled after a great talk by Sofia Sanchez, at the December meeting of the Open Automation Club. We learned about the challenges of plant propagation and the need for automation, and we became excited to bring our lab automation skills to the realm of plant biology.
Our team is fully equipped to work on new open-source tech, and we are working Circuito Verde (NGO, Argentina) to focus on the propagation of ecologically relevant species.
Derek Jacoby
I am a researcher and tinkerer. I founded the Victoria Makerspace and play with synthetic biology. My day job is in computer science. I'm looking forward to automating the world of plant repotting using a lab robot!
Nicolás Méndez
Biotechnologist and tinkerer by nature. I have specialized in the automation of molecular biology, with a strong focus on developing the base open-source technology and lowering entry barriers to automated experimentation.
I lead the OLA project, and have enjoyed making and integrating open and affordable equipment for biology labs, helping others do more with their time.
vince geisler
Vince Geisler began his career as a roboticist at Sphere Research, a spinoff of Northern Airborne Technology (NAT) in Kelowna, BC. Under the mentorship of Walter Shawlee, he developed expertise in robotics and avionics, working on groundbreaking projects including autopilot systems for helicopters and transport jets, food processing robots, and early ADS-B (Flight Track) systems.
His technical innovations extended beyond robotics into communications infrastructure. Geisler pioneered one of British Columbia's first high-speed last-mile community internet services (RMIS) in Silverton. He later implemented critical emergency communications systems, including the 911 system for the Kitimat-Stikine Regional District and CREST (Capital Region Emergency Services Telecommunications).
More recently, Geisler has focused on democratizing access to technology and scientific research. As a founding member of Victoria Makerspace, he helped establish Canada's first public biolab. His work in 2015 with the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition further demonstrated his commitment to advancing innovation in synthetic biology and robotics.
Aliénor Lahlou
Open-source open hardware enthusiast, and
I like to mix disciplines, such as optics, computer vision, machine learning and biophysics to study complex systems. My research is focused on developping instrumentation and methodologies to study plants.
Carolyn Angleton
I’m a Bio Artist and biotechnology researcher living in Colorado, USA, co-founder of ARC-BAC, an art and synthetic biology collaborative at the American River College in Sacramento, CA, and director of SacBioArts, a bioarts research studio.
I’ve worked as a fine arts professor at Sierra College in northern California, exhibited biological and sculptural artwork in Europe, Japan and the US, and write articles/ moderate panels regarding biomaking, ethics, and synthetic biology. I’m part of the organizing committee for the Global Community Biosummit and Bio Fellows program.
As a builder of gardens and avid hiker, I currently serve as a volunteer naturalist for the City of Ft. Collins, CO, and investigate the intersection of biotechnology, bioart and ecosystem restoration.
Patricia Squitiero
Many moons ago, I interned as a Soil Conservation Intern through the USDA, focusing on natural resources conservation. My experience spans supervising herbarium activities, supporting research, and optimizing operational processes. I’ve also completed an Artificial Intelligence Python Bootcamp, merging science and technology to drive innovative solutions in environmental and quality management. As a personal passion, I enjoy supporting clinical and non-clinical research through my consulting services, fostering sustainable practices, compliance assurance, and resource stewardship.
S James Parsons Jr
S James Parsons Jr is a biomedical engineer with a passion for blending science, creativity, and practicality to address real-world challenges. With a degree in biomedical engineering and a specialization in tissue engineering, James has built expertise in synthetic biology and medical innovation. His work spans creating artificial tissues and exploring the intersection of biotechnology and healthcare.
Committed to democratizing biotechnology, James is building a biotech company focused on developing affordable, open-source tools for biologists, educators, and innovators. By lowering barriers to entry, he empowers others to explore synthetic biology and develop biological compounds and organisms.
James operates a state-of-the-art fabrication shop equipped with laser cutters, 3D printers, metalworking tools, and electronics equipment, enabling him to transform ideas into functional prototypes. From cutting-edge biotech devices to practical engineering solutions, James bridges the gap between concept and reality as an inventor for hire.
Currently, James is designing an accessible, easy-to-assemble bioreactor that makes growing organisms for research, education, or personal projects feasible for all. This initiative reflects his belief that the future of science and healthcare depends on making advanced technologies affordable and widely available.
An artist at heart, James integrates creativity into his work, crafting solutions that are both innovative and thoughtfully designed. Through his efforts, he strives to inspire innovation and enable others to explore, create, and contribute to a better world.
Lab Notes
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