R&D Update: Plate Detection - Alpha 2

We reached the next milestone in our AI + computer-vision pipeline (Alpha 2): the Spotxel® Reader detection engine now detects the plate outline much closer to ground truth, including on tilted images, and identifies the wells area reliably across most capture conditions. This improves alignment for downstream analysis and sets the stage for robust on-device performance.

See demo images and technical notes in Plate Detection - Alpha 2.

Release timing: We previously expected first public builds around January 2026. After broader testing - especially on tilted images and in tough lighting (reflections, low contrast, shadows) - we shipped Alpha 2 internally to meet our quality bar. The next planned milestone is Beta in June 2026.