AI EXPO 2018: Highlighting AI in Manufacturing Industry

The second AI EXPO was held at Tokyo Big Sight from April 4 to April 6, 2018. Approximately 46,000 people came from a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, and services. Attention was focused on exhibitions using AI technology for the manufacturing industry.
Musashi Seimitsu Industry, an auto parts manufacturer, demonstrated an automatic visual inspection system developed with ABEJA, an AI venture company. The AI robot, which has learned the shape of the good and defective part of the gear, inspects the image of the finished product and removes the defective part. “Before marketing it outside, we will first introduce it to our own factory,” said the person in charge.
AI Cube, which was established by Yaskawa Electric in March 2018 to accelerate AI research, also participated. It displayed a robotic system (=photo) that takes out necessary parts from a box stacked with various parts. “We are aiming for commercialization in the next fiscal year,” commented a representative.