nDrites: Enabling Laboratory Resource Multi-agent Systems

The notion of the multi-agent interconnected scientific laboratory has long appealed to scientists and laboratory managers alike. However, the challenge has been the nature of the laboratory resources to be interconnected, which typically do not feature any kind of agent capability. The solution presented in this paper is that of nDrites, smart agent enablers that are integrated with laboratory resources. The unique feature of nDrites, other than that they are shipped with individual instrument types, is that they poses a generic interface at the "agent end" (with a bespoke interface at the "resource end"). As such, nDrites enable the required inter-connectivity for a Laboratory Resource Multi Agent Systems (LR-MAS). The nDrite concept is both formally defined and illustrated using two case studies, that of analytical monitoring and instrument failure prediction.