Brooks Automation entered a definitive agreement to acquire Precise Automation, a developer of collaborative robots and automation subsystems headquartered in Freemont, Calif. The co-founders of Precise Automation, Brian Carlisle and Bruce Shimano, will join Brooks and continue to lead the company. The total cash purchase for the acquisition will be approximately $70 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of April upon satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Precise Automation’s products are used in a variety of end markets, including laboratory automation and semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. Laboratory automation applications include drug discovery, analytical laboratory, clinical diagnostics, and genomics.