Driving Innovation with AI, Edge Computing, and 5G

We know that Industry 4.0 is driving the search for processes and methods that support razor-thin margins in manufacturing by reducing waste, risk, and downtime. As we move towards truly autonomous manufacturing, companies will need to fully and wholeheartedly step into AI-driven initiatives.

See also: Webinar: Foundational Technologies for Future Innovation and Competitive Differentiation

So, where does that put us today? We’re seeing the widespread deployment of new technologies such as AI, edge computing, and 5G operations. The challenge now is moving beyond these one-off initiatives into an era of comprehensive strategies designed to work end-to-end as production moves down the pipeline.

Companies have been wary of introducing widespread initiatives due to budget and staffing concerns, but stepping into company-wide adoption, but that commitment will be a key differentiator moving forward.

To discuss the opportunities that lie in new autonomous technologies within manufacturing, Cheryl Krivda, Technology Strategist for RTInsights, sat down with Jonathan Luse, General Manager, Industrial Solutions Management at Intel Corporation; Brian McCarson, Vice President and Sr. Principal Engineer, Internet of Things Group (IOTG) at Intel Corporation; and Ricky Watts, Industrial Solutions Senior Director at Intel Corporation.

According to a recent Intel survey, 59% of manufacturing participants wanted “intelligent” solutions to take on manual or labor-intensive jobs, and 62% wanted smart machines that can partner with humans to complete tasks.

“We’re at a fantastic transition point where AI is moving from the realm of science fiction into reality and mainstream manufacturing,” says McCarson. Luse elaborates, “The decision-making potential of what information is presented to a plant manager opens up a lot of new abilities…to make better business decisions.”

“We’re starting to see an acceleration of these things coming together,” according to Watts, who notes that 2020 sped up the adoption of these technologies as companies struggled to operate within the pandemic.

The webinar outlines ways that these technologies are working together to transform the manufacturing process from beginning to end. The critical technologies include:

• Edge computing for real-time analytics and processing
• AI for smart manufacturing at the intersection of what humans and robots are capable of
• 5G for reliable connectivity in time-critical applications

Participants offer a glimpse at what Industry 4.0 might look like with a comprehensive strategy to unify these cutting-edge technologies into the entire manufacturing pipeline. These are leading the way to true autonomous manufacturing and the dream of AI-driven and augmented production.

Click here to watch the webinar and find out how these technologies are transforming and revolutionizing manufacturing processes in ways we could never have dreamed a generation ago.