Everything you need to know to get started with Lab Hub: create an account, manage labs, register work schedules, book equipment, and collaborate with colleagues.
Lab Hub provides 2 separate scheduling systems for different purposes:
Register morning/afternoon shifts, mark attendance for lab members.
Reserve equipment time slots, manage waitlists, and check-in/out equipment.
The work schedule helps you register shifts and communicate your attendance to the lab.
Go to Lab page → select the "Work Schedule" tab in the navigation. You'll see a weekly or monthly calendar view.
Click the "Register Schedule" button or click directly on a date cell. The system will open a registration form with morning/afternoon times pre-filled.
Enter date, start/end time, title (e.g., "Present", "Absent", "Experiment A"), work location, and detailed description.
Choose recurrence mode: None, Daily, Weekly, Weekly (4 weeks), or Monthly. The system creates recurring schedules automatically.
Add reminders before your shift: 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, 1 hour, or 1 day. You'll receive push notifications.
Equipment booking helps you reserve equipment time in the lab, avoid conflicts, and ensure equipment is always ready.
Go to Lab page → select the "Equipment Schedule" tab. The interface shows a weekly/monthly calendar with booked time slots.
Click the "Create Booking" button or click on an empty cell in the calendar. The booking form will appear.
Choose equipment from the list. If the equipment has multiple channels/modules, you can select a specific channel or "Entire equipment".
Select date, start and end time. Enter your purpose for using the equipment (required). You can set recurrence and reminders.
Click "Confirm". The system will check for conflicts. If there's a conflict, you'll be offered to join the waitlist.
When it's time to use the equipment, check in by scanning the QR code on the equipment or manually checking in on the interface. Some labs require photo proof.
After using the equipment, click "Check-out" to complete. You may need to take a photo of the equipment's condition after use.
When your booking overlaps with someone else's, the system will notify you of the conflict and offer you to join the Waitlist. If the original booker cancels or doesn't check in, you'll be automatically promoted and notified.
Some equipment requires you to sign a usage agreement before your first booking. The system will display an agreement modal — read the content carefully and confirm. For members from partner labs, an additional guarantor signature is required.
If you don't check in within the specified window (usually 15-30 minutes after start time), the system will automatically cancel your booking and mark it as "No-show". Your SciRep score may be affected. Always check in on time or cancel early if you can't make it.
You can scan the QR code on equipment when you don't have a booking. The system will create an instant booking and check you in immediately — very convenient when equipment is available and you need to use it right away.
When a time slot is already booked, you can click "Join Waitlist" to queue up. Your position is displayed (e.g., #1, #2). When the main booking is cancelled or marked as no-show, the first person in the waitlist is automatically promoted and receives a push notification.
You can set up recurring bookings: Daily, Weekly, Weekly (4 weeks), or Monthly. The system creates separate bookings — each can be managed (cancelled/checked-in) independently.
Each lab can configure its own booking rules. Here are the common ones:
Minimum and maximum duration per booking (e.g., min 30 minutes, max 4 hours).
Labs can restrict which days bookings are allowed (e.g., Mon-Fri only).
Time range for bookings (e.g., 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM). Outside this range, you cannot create bookings.
Maximum number of bookings per week per user (e.g., max 5 bookings/week).
Maximum number of days you can book in advance (e.g., up to 14 days ahead).
Time you must check in after start time (e.g., 15 minutes). Past this window without checking in → booking is auto-cancelled.
Some equipment requires admin/owner approval before a booking is confirmed. The booking will remain "Pending" until approved.