FOCUS ON AI
TRUMPF ’ s Smart Factory at Ditzingen , Germany .
Machine learning meets AI
Artificial intelligence ( AI ) is a field of computer science that imitates human cognitive abilities by extracting and classifying information from input data . This intelligence can be based on programmed workflows or generated through machine learning ( ML ).
Huge progress has been made in recent years , especially in machine learning . This is mainly due to the increasing availability of large amounts of data and massive computing power , both of which are essential prerequisites for the complex calculations performed by machine learning .
In machine learning , an algorithm teaches itself how to perform a particular task , learning through repetition and tailoring its learning behaviour to predefined quality standards and the information content of the data .
Unlike conventional algorithms , ML does not require a solution path to be modelled ; instead , it learns on its own to understand how the data is structured . For example , a robot can learn by itself how it should grip certain objects to move them from A to B . The only instructions it receives are where to retrieve the objects and where to transport them . The robot learns how to grasp the object through repeated trial and error and through feedback from successful attempts .
Vision applications for AI
The TRUMPF computer vision team is teaching artificial intelligence ( AI ) to classify data correctly . The specialists are willing to do whatever it takes , including categorising 100,000 images by hand .
“ Sheet metal is an absolute nightmare for cameras !” said Korbinian Weiß . He has spent years trying to make the two things more compatible . “ Sheet metal is thin and bendy , it reflects light , can be wobbly and comes in endless shapes and sizes ,” he said . Cameras can struggle to even recognize a metal surface , but artificial intelligence ( AI ) is now offering new solutions to these problems .
Weiß heads up the AI image-recognition team at TRUMPF in Ditzingen . His preference would be to have at least 24 cameras installed in machines such as the TruLaser Center 7030 ,
Image : TRUMPF .
TRUMPF ’ s first fully automated laser cutting system . But , for the moment , the system has 12 cameras which deliver huge quantities of images and video clips .
These , and many other types of data , provide the key to continuously improving existing machines and developing entirely new products . This data forms the foundation of the computer vision team ’ s work .
Korbinian Weiß heads the AI image recognition team at TRUMPF in Ditzingen , Germany .
Above : Numerous cameras in the machine feed data to the control monitor , allowing Korbinian Weiß to see exactly what is happening and to intervene as necessary .
Image : TRUMPF .
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