Eppendorf’s Sony AIBO dog finds a new home

Visitors to Eppendorf’s IBLA (International Biotech Lab Automation Europe) exhibition stand had a chance to win a Sony AIBO (Artificial Intelligence robot) dog. Irresistible to anyone who appreciates innovative design, reliable build quality and autonomous performance, AIBO mirrors the attributes of Eppendorf’s epMotion range of smart liquid-handling workstations.

Stephen Clarke, Laboratory Manager for York Bioanalytical Solutions, is now the proud owner of a robotic four-legged friend.

Already a great fan of both Eppendorf and AIBO dogs, Stephen Clarke commented, ‘I knew Eppendorf equipment was good as I regularly use it without any problems. My day at IBLA was really enjoyable and AIBO caught my eye on the Eppendorf stand. I’m delighted to win such an excellent prize and it’s been great to meet the Eppendorf UK team.’

Eppendorf’s modular epMotion system is ideal for performing reliable, precise, automatic pipetting. Featuring an optical sensor for recognition of labware and tools, epMotion has a flexible working volume range of 1–1,000 µl with six different dispensing tools and free-jet dispensing. Easy-to-use software and an affordable price make it even more attractive to ‘Take the next step in pipetting’.

Albrecht Wiener, Eppendorf UK Managing Director, said, ‘We had an overwhelming response when we first offered an AIBO dog in a prize draw in 2004, so it seemed appropriate to use the new model to highlight the style and capabilities of epMotion. These completely contained, compact workstations are ideal for liquid handling applications, contamination-free replication and re-array of 96–384 well plates, plasmid preparation, DNA or RNA purification, and PCR and qPCR set-up.’