We introduce Chemspyd, a lightweight, open-source Python package for operating the popular laboratory robotic platforms from Chemspeed Technologies. As an add-on to the existing proprietary software suite, Chemspyd enables dynamic communication with the automated platform, laying the foundation for its modular integration into customizable, higher-level laboratory workflows. We show the applicability of Chemspyd in a set of case studies from chemistry and materials science. We demonstrate how the package can be used with large language models to provide a natural language interface. By providing an open-source software interface for a commercial robotic platform, we hope to inspire the development of open interfaces that facilitate the flexible, adaptive integration of existing laboratory equipment into automated laboratories.