Anthropic is testing a new approach for Claude to control robots and lab equipment.

Its new Model Hardware Standard (MHS) will let AI agents control lab and factory hardware through 1 shared interface.

MHS is the missing interface between AI agents and physical equipment, using common drivers for commands, device properties, and safety limits.

Most instruments expose separate programming interfaces, so connecting a lab or factory can take weeks or months.

MHS standardizes that work around drivers exposing simple read/write commands plus reference files describing device capabilities, physical properties, and enforced safety limits.

Agents can access those drivers through MCP, command-line tools, or code, then sequence work across devices and adjust settings from live results.

Anthropic says early projects cut integration work to hours or minutes.