Self-Deployed Automation: Why Now for HighRes?

The landscape of lab automation is undergoing a fundamental shift. For years, advanced automation was synonymous with premium, fully managed, white-glove service. HighRes has played a defining role in setting that standard. But today, a broad spectrum of users is asking for something different: the flexibility to automate on their own terms, from fully self-deployed setups to supported self-deployed approaches and full-service programs.

This article explores why self-deployed automation is rising now, what it really takes to execute successfully, how HighRes products are enabling it, and how our offerings now span the entire spectrum, from hands-on builders to hands-off teams seeking turnkey excellence. 

Defining Self-Deployed Automation in Practical Terms 

Self-deployed automation isn’t simply “doing it cheaper." It’s about organizations choosing to configure, integrate, and maintain their automation systems internally, and owning the technical decisions that follow. 

From our interviews with customers and internal teams, three clear self-deployment personas have emerged: 

Centralized Automation Groups 

Experienced, automation-native groups who want control, speed, and the freedom to tailor systems to their internal standards. 

Technically Competent, Resource-Constrained Startups 

Often highly skilled but lean, these teams trade time for cost savings and value the ability to iterate quickly without formal service engagements. 

Academic or Budget-Limited Environments 

Groups with steep constraints but strong engineering curiosity, where flexibility and affordability are the primary drivers. 

Each persona is motivated by control, but the level of support they need differs dramatically. 

The Realities and Challenges of True Self-Deployed Automation 

Self-deploying automation appropriately for your laboratory requires far more than assembling hardware. While a system may look simple on paper, users consistently encounter several key hurdles: 

1. System Configuration Complexity

• Installing base level software or adding a device package is often straightforward. The complexity emerges when: 

  • Teaching robots real-world positions 

  • Coordinating instrument timing 

  • Managing dependencies and sample paths 

• Handling motion constraints and physical variability

• The in-silico version of automation is rarely the whole story. 

2. Driver Installation and Device Integration

• Many users underestimate what it takes to: 

  • Correctly install and configure complex device drivers 

  • Configure communications with devices 

  • Ensure synchronized operations across different vendors systems.

• While we’ve made substantial improvements, such as simplified package imports, true self-deployed automation still demands technical fluency. 

• Even skilled users will hit friction without structured support in place: 

  • Clear, contextual documentation 

  • In-app help and tooltips 

  • Straightforward guides for system creation and device onboarding

• Usability, not capability, is often the barrier. 

4. Managing Workflow Deadlocks

• Deadlocks are a known challenge in any scheduler-based automation environment. Experienced automation engineers develop an intuition for them; new automation users do not. 
• Our training modules teach strategies for avoidance and resolution, but applying them in real systems requires: 

  • Clear mental models of the flow of samples through a system 

  • Iteration as you go through protocol development 

  • Debugging confidence, to be able to implement known tools to different scenarios with high chance of success. 

• Self-deployment teams can do this, but it increases cognitive load and learning curve. 

Why Cellario is Ready for Self-Deployment Now? 

Several converging factors make 2025 the right moment for HighRes to embrace self-deployment customers. 

1. Mature, Stable Scheduling & Device Ecosystem

• Cellario’s core scheduler, drivers, and hardware control stack have been hardened over more than 20 years across thousands of workflows. This reliability is the foundation that makes self-deployment feasible. 

2. Streamlined Driver Frameworks

• Driver installation and configuration have become dramatically simpler, often reduced to package-level additions (Fig. 1). That’s a major unlock for teams integrating devices themselves. 

Figure 1. GIF showing how easy it is to swap drivers in CellarioScheduler's driver selection dropdown menu.

3. Deep Training & Knowledge Assets

• From advanced deadlock modules to device-specific tutorials, we have the depth and breadth of materials automation users need to succeed. 

4. Pushing Toward Accessibility

• HighRes is transforming from a purely premium brand with white glove service to one known for accessibility and enablement that supports a self-deployment mentality. With tools aligned around that vision, such as FlexPod configurable lab automation platform (Fig. 2), and self-deployed Cellario and a simplified run experience. 

Figure 2. FlexPod is a compact, configurable lab automation platform featuring a mobile design and an ACell collaborative robotic arm. It delivers seamless mobile automation and efficient processing while preserving valuable bench space.

5. Internal Expertise Ready to Be Externalized

• Between our applications team, technical staff, and the hundreds of combined years of knowledge, HighRes is now systematically packaging the decades of experience that historically lived only in the minds of engineers (Video 1). This is a massive enabler for self-deploying customers. 

In short: the product is ready, the support infrastructure is ready, and the market is ready (Video 1). 

Video 1. CellarioScheduler Product Manager, Dan Stugan, details how HighRes is making automation more accessible with our new self-deployed automation offering. 

HighRes' Full Spectrum of Automation Offerings 

To match the diverse personas, HighRes now offers a tiered approach that meets customers where they are, without forcing them into a one-size-fits-all model. 

1. Full Self-Deployment

• For experienced automation groups who want full autonomy. 
• Includes: 
  • Self-install software 
  • Self-configure robots and devices 
  • Access to documentation, libraries, and training materials 
  • Optional hourly support add-ons 
• Ideal for large pharma automation teams and highly technical startups. 

2. Supported Self-Deployment

• For teams who want to build it themselves, but with oversight, guardrails, and expert availability. 
• Includes: 
  • All self-deployment features 
  • Scheduled engineering support 
  • Guided reviews of system architecture 
  • Help with deadlocks, device integration, and troubleshooting 
  • Retainer-based or flexible support-hour models
• This is becoming the most common customer profile. 

3. Full White-Glove Service

• HighRes’ flagship offering and still the gold standard for teams prioritizing turnkey reliability. 
• Includes: 
  • System design 
  • Installation 
  • Protocol translation 
  • Optimization 
  • Comprehensive training 
  • Ongoing managed support 
• Ideal for teams with limited time, automation expertise, or tolerance for risk. 

Where This Is Going: Automated System Design & AI-Assisted Protocol Generation 

As HighRes democratizes automation and expands self-deploy capabilities, the next frontier becomes clear: automating more of the design and configuration process itself. 

With a knowledge base encapsulating years of instrument choices, integration patterns, scheduling heuristics, and protocol translation experience, and the ability to use that in conjunction with LLMs, we are entering a future where: 

• System architectures can be generated automatically from high-level requirements 
• Protocols can be adapted or created based on learned best practices from hundreds of deployments 
• Users can receive intelligent, context-aware guidance for configuration, optimization, and troubleshooting 
• Cognitive load decreases while reliability and performance increase 

This is not replacing human expertise – it is amplifying it, making HighRes’ collective experience accessible at scale across every customer tier, from full self-serve automation builders to white-glove clients. 

Final Thoughts 

Self-deployed automation is no longer a niche experiment; it's a necessary evolution driven by customer demand, product maturity, and a shift toward accessibility and empowerment. HighRes is uniquely positioned to lead this shift, providing not only the tools but the knowledge infrastructure required for success. 

The future of automation will not just be about building systems. It will be about systems that help build themselves, powered by intelligent design assistants and knowledge-driven protocol automation. And for HighRes, that future is already coming into view. 

Tell us about your automation project and we'll help you figure out the best approach for your lab.