A robotic arm has a pair of gripper fingers designed to grip a variety of
containers, including capped and uncapped test tubes as well as containers
having unique gripping means. The fingers each have upper and lower
projections separated by a groove, the respective projections facing each
other when mounted to grippers on the robotic arm. The projections and
groove serve to firmly hold the containers as well as self-align the
unique gripping means on initially unaligned containers within the fingers
as the fingers close around the containers. The fingers have clearance to
avoid contact with caps on capped test tubes. Stops are provided at the
top of each finger to engage one another and prevent fully closed fingers
from deforming. The robotic arm may be transported along a rail mounted
above the instrument and a gripper assembly, having a gripper arm, mounted
to the robotic arm may be rotated above the instrument to move the
container to various locations within the instrument. Side posts on the
instruments have a gap between them that permits the gripper arm to rotate
and extend outwards to interface with an adjacent instrument or a lab
automation transport line.