# Challenges and Opportunities **URL:** https://accelerated-discovery.org/c/challenges-and-opportunities/9.md [Latest](https://accelerated-discovery.org/latest.md) · [Categories](https://accelerated-discovery.org/categories.md) · [Tags](https://accelerated-discovery.org/tags.md) --- ## [About the Challenges and Opportunities category](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/about-the-challenges-and-opportunities-category/551)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [October 17, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/about-the-challenges-and-opportunities-category/551 "2025-10-17T18:37:30Z")
A place to identify/discuss challenges facing laboratory autonomy and opportunities to take action to address them. This channel contain sub-channels focused on different categories of challenges or related activities D… --- ## [Human - SDL interactions](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/human-sdl-interactions/562)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/human-sdl-interactions/562 "2025-10-20T15:44:27Z")
What are the key roles for humans in autonomous laboratories? Where is human involvement necessary versus accelerating versus impeding progress? --- ## [Live assessments of SoTA](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/live-assessments-of-sota/561)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/live-assessments-of-sota/561 "2025-10-20T15:35:27Z")
How can we keep up to date with the state of the art (SoTA) for autonomous science in a rapidly changing and evolving ecosystem? This forum has a “Tools” category, and @sgbaird has a nice Github repository for this purp… --- ## [Where can we talk about applied robotics](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/where-can-we-talk-about-applied-robotics/564)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [October 17, 2025, 6:10pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/where-can-we-talk-about-applied-robotics/564 "2025-10-17T18:10:35Z")
Applied robotics is at the core of increasing automation and autonomy in experimental science. Where can we discuss and share around applied robotics? How can we reward scientists for engaging in this manner when it is n… --- ## [Engagement with industry/vendors](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/engagement-with-industry-vendors/563)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/engagement-with-industry-vendors/563 "2025-09-23T18:02:43Z")
How can we better engage with industry and instrument vendors? How much do they care about our needs? How can we organize better as a community to encourage this bi-directional communication? --- ## [Lab autonomy hall of fame](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/lab-autonomy-hall-of-fame/565)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/lab-autonomy-hall-of-fame/565 "2025-09-19T18:30:04Z")
A challenge in talking to funding agencies is justifying the efficacy of autonomous laboratories in scientific achievement. What are the most convincing and impressive examples of laboratory autonomy accelerating science… --- ## [Key resources for accelerating lab autonomy](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/key-resources-for-accelerating-lab-autonomy/567)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2025, 6:08pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/key-resources-for-accelerating-lab-autonomy/567 "2025-09-19T18:08:38Z")
What sorts of resources would be most useful to the community? Here are some examples: Database of orchestration software Database of AI/ML software Database of autonomy-relevant equipment and user experiences Database… --- ## [Glass-box autonomous setups](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/glass-box-autonomous-setups/560)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/glass-box-autonomous-setups/560 "2025-09-05T18:34:44Z")
A glass-box autonomous laboratory is an accessible and simple setup that can be easily replicated and used for development purposes. What are some existing or hypothetical glass-boxes for different scientific domains? --- ## [Benchmarks and performance metrics for lab autonomy](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/benchmarks-and-performance-metrics-for-lab-autonomy/566)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 27, 2025, 12:36pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/benchmarks-and-performance-metrics-for-lab-autonomy/566 "2025-08-27T12:36:15Z")
What are the best ways to quantify the performance of an autonomous laboratory? How do we formulate benchmark problems to help compare different autonomous laboratories? How can we leverage these benchmarks and metrics t… --- ## [Categorizing laboratory autonomy efforts](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/categorizing-laboratory-autonomy-efforts/559)
**Author:** [@npaulson](https://accelerated-discovery.org/u/npaulson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 26, 2025, 8:41pm UTC](https://accelerated-discovery.org/t/categorizing-laboratory-autonomy-efforts/559 "2025-08-26T20:41:28Z")
Based on discussions with those in the community we came up with several different ways of categorizing laboratory autonomy (see below). This is key because it may help us identify which infrastructure we can develop tha…