This directory contains CAD files and programs for the Digital Pipette v2 introduced in RoboCulture: A Robotics Platform for Automated Biological Experimentation. It is the successor to the original Digital Pipette introduced here and avaliable on GitHub here.
| Item | Quantity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Linear actuator | 1 | Actuonix L16-50-63-6-R |
| DC 6V power supply | 1 | DC Linear Actuator Power Supply* |
| Arduino | 1 | Arduino Uno Rev3** |
| Pipette Tips | - | Sigma-Aldrich BRAND pipette tips, 1-10 mL |
| O-ring | 1 | Approx. inner diameter of 17 mm, width of 2.5 mm |
| Grease | - | MOLYKOTE High-Vacuum Grease, DuPont |
| Short screws & nuts | 3 | M3 10 mm screws and M3 nuts were used |
| Long screw & nut | 1 | M3 20 mm screw and M3 nut were used |
Basic electronic parts (e.g. breadboard, cables, soldering iron, etc.) are not included in this list.
* Any other DC 6V power supply should work.
** Any other Arduino-compatible boards should work.
Although it is not drawn explicitly, ensure that the GND of Arduino and DC 6V power supply are connected.
Caution: When connecting the power supply, ensure that the voltage and polarity match the specifications of the control board. Incorrect wiring may damage the circuit or cause injury. Build and use the device at your own risk.
You can connect the Arduino, the linear actuator, and the 6V power supply using jumper wires and alligator cables. This setup works for development, but it is not recommended for production since cables get easily become disconnected. Soldering wires is recommended to make connections more stable. The example shown below uses a perfboard to solder cables and connectors.
We will refer to the 3D printed components by the following names: (a) Pipette, (b) platform, (c) syringe, (d) plunger, and (e) cover.
Prepare items shown in the bill of materials. Print the platform, plunger, syringe and syringe cover with a 3D printer. We printed the platform and the cover using white ANYCUBIC PLA with a KP3S printer, and the syringe and plunger pieces were printed with Clear Resin V4 using a Form 3L printer.
Connect the end of the linear actuator to the plunger piece with a short screw and a nut.
Place an O-ring in the groove of the plunger piece. NOTE: Applying a thin strip of electrical tape (~3 mm wide) in the groove before placing the O-ring can help achieve a tighter seal.
Apply grease to the end of the plunger piece over the O-ring, and inside the syringe piece. Place the plunger piece inside the syringe.
Place the linear actuator into the platform such that the top of the syringe piece lies in the groove of the platform. Secure the actuator in place with the plastic parts shipped with the actuator. We placed a flat mounting strap underneath the actuator and the U-shaped bracket piece on top of the actuator, and used two short screws (10mm) and nuts to secure everything to the platform. We used a long screw (20mm) and nut to secure the top of the actuator to the top of the platform.
Place the cover piece over the syringe to hold it to the platform. OPTIONAL: Use tape to secure the cover.
Connect the linear actuator with the electric circuit.
The src directory contains example code to operate the Digital Pipette v2.
pipette.inois an example Arduino sketchcontroller.pyis an example Python program to send serial commands from PC to the Arduino
You may need to install pySerial to run the Python example.
If you find this useful in your research, please consider citing as below.
@misc{angers2025roboculture,
title={RoboCulture: A Robotics Platform for Automated Biological Experimentation},
author={Kevin Angers and Kourosh Darvish and Naruki Yoshikawa and Sargol Okhovatian and Dawn Bannerman and Ilya Yakavets and Florian Shkurti and Alán Aspuru-Guzik and Milica Radisic},
year={2025},
eprint={2505.14941},
archivePrefix={arXiv},
primaryClass={cs.RO},
url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.14941},
}
The pipette is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The source code is licensed under the MIT license.