A control system for transferring a sample from a source vessel to a target vessel generally includes a vessel unit, a primary transfer unit, an x-drive, a y-drive, a z-drive and a control unit for controlling the drives. The vessel unit includes a support plate for supporting the source vessel and the target vessel thereon and the transfer unit includes at least one transfer device for transferring the sample from the source vessel to the target vessel. The x-, y- and z-drives reciprocally translate one of the support plate and the transfer device in a respective x-direction, y-direction and z-direction, wherein the x, y and z directions define a three axis Cartesian coordinate system.