SHIZUOKA - Automotive equipment maker Yazaki Corp. has opened a research and development hub in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, using advanced "physical AI" technology as it seeks to create factories where people and artificial intelligence work alongside one another.
The facility, named Innovation Hub - REN, is designed to explore new forms of manufacturing through physical AI, a technology that enables artificial intelligence to understand conditions in the real world and autonomously control robots.
In one demonstration, a robot used a camera mounted on its head to look inside a blue container, identify green components and move them into a neighboring box while deciding for itself how to perform the task.
"The technology was not taught directly by a person. The robot is making its own decisions," said Takahito Saito, head of Yazaki's Innovation Center. "It sometimes fails, but when it does, it reassesses the situation and changes how it picks up the object. Because it has a certain level of intelligence, it can make decisions and move on its own."
Many of the automotive components produced by Yazaki contain cables and other flexible parts, making their assembly heavily dependent on manual labor.
As manufacturers move toward next-generation production systems, the use of AI-powered robots capable of assessing their surroundings through cameras and sensors, thinking independently and taking action is becoming an increasingly important industry trend.
The company is also working to digitize the expertise of highly skilled factory employees. In one project, workers wear bands on their arms while performing tasks so that the movement and use of their muscles can be recorded as data.
"You can see the band being worn on the arm," Saito said. "We are digitizing exactly how skilled workers use their arm muscles."
Yazaki plans to preserve the manual techniques accumulated by experienced employees over many years and use the data to improve productivity and product quality. The company also hopes the system will help transfer the exceptional skills of veteran workers to younger employees.
"The smart factory Yazaki is aiming for is not, at least at this stage, one in which AI completely replaces manufacturing," Saito said. "We are seeking a factory where AI coexists with manufacturing and where people and AI coexist."
The new hub will pursue manufacturing technologies that preserve the craftsmanship passed down through generations while using AI to open the way to a new era of production.
Source: SBSnews6
