Revolutionising Scientific Research: The Power of Voice Assistants in Lab Digitisation

We live in an incredible time where labs have access to incredible tools, from automation to AI. But in a world where technological advancements rapidly evolve and shape our world, scientific laboratories are often playing catch-up. The reluctance to fully accept digitisation has profoundly impacted our scientific research efficiency and quality. Paper-based and manual documentation processes are one of the core methods that are outdated and hinder progress, leaving labs scrambling to catch up with the rapid pace of innovation.

In the following blog, we discuss how electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) and other digital platforms enable labs to digitise their operations more quickly and how integration with voice assistants is driving the next leap in lab efficiency.

The Era of Lab Digitisation

The laboratory digitisation movement has already started and is accelerating. Labs worldwide have recognised the need to modernise their operations and change how they manage their data. ELNs are emerging as vital tools for enhancing lab operations through better data management. Such tools offer scientific labs features such as structuring and tracking data, flexible collaboration between scientists, time-saving add-ons, and inventory management platforms. Labs that have embraced and continue to embrace digitisation are more flexible, organised, and collaborative, putting them at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries and allowing them to respond rapidly to biomedical emergencies like COVID-19 by developing novel vaccines and managing in-house viral testing facilities.

However, using such tools can come with a price. Adopting ELNs and a new way of doing lab work can be very challenging. Given the diversity and complexity of scientific labs, scientists may find difficulty accessing ELNs from the lab or documenting their data instantly, creating additional burdens. For instance, scientists may need to dedicate a whole day of their week to updating their ELNs through a manual process of collecting old, scribbled notes. Such inefficiencies can impact the adoption of ELN solutions in the lab, slow the lab’s digitisation process, and impede the overall research operations.  

Integrating Voice Assistants with ELNs – A Game-Changer

Now, imagine taking this digitisation journey a step further by incorporating a voice assistant into a lab’s ELN. This solution is now accessible through a partnership between ASCENSCIA, the creator of a voice assistant mobile app, and eLabNext, the developer behind an all-in-one digital lab platform. Through this software collaboration, scientists get access to this intermediary tool, making documenting data effortless. By offering a seamless user experience, labs can eliminate adoption barriers and revolutionise how scientists interact with eLabNext, producing higher-quality experiments. 

Here’s how:

1. More accessible data: Labs can sync the ASCENSCIA voice assistant with their eLabNext account with one click. This connection creates a two-way seamless data flow between the lab scientists and the eLabNext solution. Whether connected to eLabJournal or eLabInventory, scientists can access their experiments and protocols or locate their samples through simple, hands-free voice commands. Every detail of a researcher’s experiment is just one voice command away, without printed protocols or double-checking a paper lab notebook.
2. No experimental detail left behind: There are moments during experiments when things can get out of control, and a protocol needs to be paused to take notes, compromising the quality of experiments for the quality of data. With the integration of the ASCENSCIA voice assistant with eLabNext, scientists can focus solely on their experimental workflows while ASCENSCIA captures every detail in real time. Every detail is captured in a structured format with a time stamp directly in eLabJournal, leaving no work to be done later and saving your scientific team the unnecessary days of manually updating their eLabJournal. Furthermore, ASCENSCIA’s voice assistant has 97% accuracy for scientific terminology, so there’s no need to correct entries manually. 
3. Fewer errors, accelerated R&D: Human errors can be costly in scientific research, leading to unnecessary repeated experiments and prolonged timelines. By leveraging ASCENSCIA voice assistant with your eLabNext solution, labs can minimise errors, streamline R&D operations, and reduce costs. 

Futurising Laboratory Operations and Empowering Scientists

In conclusion, the journey of lab digitisation is not without its challenges, but the rewards are undeniable. By embracing voice technology, labs can revolutionise their workflows, making scientific research more accessible, efficient, and impactful. The rise of voice-activated labs heralds a new era of innovation, where scientists have unprecedented access to information and resources, reshaping the landscape of scientific discovery. ASCENSCIA and eLabNext invite you to be part of the future of scientific research to empower scientists to create a healthier world — one voice command at a time.

Whether you are starting your lab digitisation journey or want to take it a step further, ASCENSCIA and eLabNext teams are here to guide you into the future of laboratory research.

Reach out to us at elabnext.com or book a demo at ascenscia.ai