[DIYbio] Amazon unintentionally solves "low cost lab automation device" challenges

Over the years in this and related groups, those who are building lab
devices rehash the same engineering tradeoffs of cost vs functionality
vs ease of use. The basic lab automation requirements come down to
these major points: an electronic controller of some kind, some
electronic sensors of some kind, a simple display, a simple touchscreen,
flash memory for data logging, and a safe enclosure. Various ways
around these requirements are hashed & rehashed, such as offloading
communication features to a laptop or web browser, either via USB or
Bluetooth or Wifi, all of which add cost and reduce ease of use, while
providing a few new computer networking benefits. Consider the OpenPCR
machine for example, which is expensive considering it's feature set,
some of this base cost necessary due to the requirement of user controls
and display (USB and LCD, and extra software). Even the simplest lab
automation device, such as a networked digital thermostat for an
incubator, or a data logging pH meter, need at least a minimal user
input method and a user output method. These increase the cost by a base
amount, and that cost provides for rather clunky "1970's NASA" style
electronics - LEDs, LCDs, 7-segment displays, some knobs and switches.
This past month with Amazon dropping the price of the lowest cost Fire
tablet to $35 -- a retail price made available to Lab26 by virtue of
manufacturing volumes and potential future advertising revenue -- the
challenges of low cost vs ease of use vs computer networking for lab
automation devices are solved, even if this product version currently
has some minor quality limitations. Now if Jeff Bezos could hear the
hint that the only item missing from the low end Fire to truly seal the
deal to make the product into "electronic paper" is a bidirectional
general purpose input/output contact on the outside of it's case (in
function, similar to iPad Pro's bidirectional data contact "keyboard
dock"), then the only remaining challenge, of basic interfacing to the
outside world to read sensors and control transducers, would be very
easy to solve in the lowest cost way. Someone send him some email. I2C
contacts would be an obvious design choice. Imagine the OpenPCR machine
with the $35 tablet docked into it's front panel, to use it's touch
screen and memory card slot, instead of OpenPCR's existing display and
USB port. The more general trend of technology convergence continues:
the curve favors those solutions which share in technology gained from
the relentless march of better communication devices.

--

## Jonathan Cline
## jcline@ieee.org
## Mobile: +1-805-617-0223
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