POLAR: An Open-Source Platform for Optical Laboratory Automation and Research
Automation of optical experiments has become essential to improve precision, efficiency, and reproducibility in scientific research. Current methodologies often rely on manual setups or proprietary systems, which limit their scalability and flexibility. To address these challenges, the POLAR platform (Platform for Optical Laboratory Automation and Research) was developed, providing a scalable and low-cost solution for optical experiments.
At the core of the platform is STAR (Scientific Tools for Automation and Research), a Python library designed to automate workflows, manage hardware control, and streamline data acquisition and analysis. STAR enables the optimization of experimental protocols and ensures operational efficiency. Beyond its integration with POLAR, STAR functions as a standalone tool, offering flexible solutions for data management and automation in various scientific applications.
The integration of Jupyter Notebooks into the platform offers significant advantages, enhancing both usability and functionality. Notebooks provide an interactive environment where researchers can execute code in individual cells, make dynamic adjustments during experimental stages, and visualize data in real-time through graphs and tables generated directly within the interface. This integration also improves reproducibility by consolidating the entire research workflow, including code, results, and documentation, into a single file. The intuitive interface lowers technical barriers, making the platform accessible to researchers in a variety of fields.
The platform is compatible with a wide range of optical instruments, such as spectrometers, photodetectors, fiber optic systems, and light sources. These devices enable various experiments, including fluorescence, emission, absorption, and transmission analyses. The system supports both standard well plates and customized plates, allowing the use of liquid and solid samples, as well as the attachment of LED and laser sources.
Validation experiments demonstrated the system's performance in acquiring emission and fluorescence spectra using the USB650 spectrometer, as well as absorption analyses with the AS7265X sensor. The tests carried out with the USB650 spectrometer highlighted the successful integration of the STAR library with proprietary software like SpectraSuite. Absorption analyzes with the AS7265X sensor confirmed the adaptability of the platform by integrating a servo motor into the system to position multiple sensors during each acquisition. The platform significantly reduced the time required to set up and analyze experiments, ensuring consistent results.
The POLAR platform offers a flexible and accessible solution for the automation of optical experiments. By improving experiment reproducibility, it contributes to advancing optical research and democratizing access to sophisticated experimental methods.