Working with ABB, IBM has developed a new AI assistant to help manufacturers detect defects on the production line.
The Cognitive Visual Inspection System is connected to ABB’s industrial monitoring system, ABB Ability, and will help manufacturers improve speed, yield, and uptime, according to the company.
The system works by transferring images from an ultra-high-definition (UHD) camera to a section of IBM’s Watson software that has been trained to detect and classify production faults in real time.
According to IBM, Watson can inspect parts up to five times faster than production workers, and can detect faults not visible to the human eye. Furthermore, the system can increase both production speed and yield, as it enables manufacturers to potentially inspect every product coming off the line, allowing them to reject or rework only faulty products rather than complete batches.
ABB also hopes to utilise Watson in electricity generation, to predict electricity demand based on weather patterns.