Automate 2024 Wrap-up: Shifting the Robotics Paradigm to Flexible, Agnostic Solutions
To the uninitiated, the number of AI use cases on display at Automate 2024 might signal a bonanza is currently underway. This year’s trade show floor and conference agenda had use cases aplenty.
Compelling generative AI tools (the kind of AI that can create something new based on training data) were presented by vendors such as Nvidia—to extend capabilities in shop floor predictive monitoring, visual object inspection, work cell design validation and 3D perception for mobile robots—and Apera AI—to showcase AI for vision-guided robotic applications in the automotive industry.
The growing relevance of generative AI was borne out in a recent Deloitte survey, which reported that a majority (79%) of respondents expected Gen AI to drive substantial organizational transformation in less than three years. The survey also noted a strong focus on tactical benefits such as improving efficiency and cost reduction, as opposed to growth and improving innovation.
At Automate, a profusion of vendors lent credence to these data points by showing in manifest ways how the surge in smart factory technologies over the years has driven companies to use information more efficiently. An observable trend is the market interest in integrated robot control, which has generated a runway for different market players—machine builders, integrators, robot manufacturers and automation system suppliers—to get in on the benefits.
READ MORE: A Booth Visit with Yaskawa at Automate 2024: Two Vision System Applications
Although the smart automation landscape is changing quickly, much remains to be developed before the industry can provide the assurance of technology that is both predictable and stable. To be sure, not all use cases are created equal, and we cannot hold it against the discerning engineer’s eye-rolling response (no matter how impolite it seems) to the prospecting borderline examples.
Rest assured, however, by the time Automate 2025 comes around (May 12-15, 2025 in Detroit), there’ll be more innovations and new opportunities to roll with.
First Generative AI Product for Engineering
Count Siemens among vendors that are significantly further along their digital enterprise journeys than others. During a keynote session, the company touted its generative AI-powered assistant. This product, known as the Siemens Industrial Copilot, was first rolled out earlier this year at Hannover Messe 2024 and Siemens is now introducing it to its global markets.
Connected to the plant via the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal, the copilot enables teams to find a given topic and to generate a basic visualization and code faster for programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The copilot functions to reduce workloads, take on repetitive tasks and reduce errors when engineering complex tasks. The overall benefit is a boost in quality and productivity over the long term, noted Siemens. The Siemens Industrial Copilot for TIA Portal Engineering will be available for download in July 2024.
