Omron points out that Europe, according to a recent WIPO study, is set to be left behind by the United States and China when it comes to artificial intelligence. It also highlights the study's finding that many of the cloud-based AI solutions advertised on the market will not change this, as they place enormous demands on infrastructure and IT. Processing the volumes of data involved is still a laborious and time-consuming process. That's why Omron is in Hannover to unveil a completely new solution for predictive maintenance and machine control - the AI controller. The world's first AI system for machine automation aims to combine production line control functions with AI-based data processing in real time.

For the first time, Omron's AI controller integrates AI algorithms into machine control and monitors production lines using real-time sensors, thus ensuring irregularities can be detected much more quickly. What sets this technology apart is that it doesn’t require an Internet connection, which means companies are no longer reliant on cloud computing and they can harness the potential of AI even if they don't have a good Internet connection. The new AI solution collects, analyzes and uses data from edge devices in a controller so as to extend the service life of the devices and detect irregularities, thus eliminating downtimes. Omron heralds its solution as the first industrial AI controller for machine automation that has an integrated Sysmac library and combines control functions for production lines and equipment at production sites with data processing based on artificial intelligence in real time. Raw data is collected on a fully automatic basis by the AI controller, which operates inside the machine using edge computing, ensuring maximum consistency and data security. The controller also uses correlation analyses to automatically create data models that it then deploys to monitor the machine status. The AI components and a comprehensive library of preprogrammed function blocks for predictive maintenance - which are used in the hardware, based on Sysmac NY5 IPC and NX7 CPU - are created using typical applications in a practice-based process.