ABB and IBM announce a strategic collaboration that pair ABB’s digital offering ABB Ability with IBM Watson Internet of Things cognitive capabilities. The first two joint industry solutions powered by ABB Ability and Watson will reportedly bring real-time cognitive insights to the factory floor and smart grids.
ABB and IBM will leverage Watson’s artificial intelligence to help find defects via real-time production images that are captured through an ABB system and then analyzed using IBM Watson IoT for Manufacturing. Previously, these inspections were done manually, which was often a slow and error-prone process, according to the companies. By bringing Watson's real time cognitive insights directly to the shop floor in combination with ABB’s industrial automation technology, companies will reportedly be better equipped to increase the volume flowing through their production lines. As parts flow through the manufacturing process, the solution will alert the manufacturer to critical faults – not visible to the human eye – in the quality of assembly. This enables fast intervention from quality control experts.
ABB and IBM will also apply Watson’s capabilities to predict supply patterns in electricity generation and demand from historical and weather data to help utilities optimize the operation and maintenance of smart grids. Forecasts of temperature, sunshine and wind speed will be used to predict consumption demand, which will help utilities determine optimal load management as well as real-time pricing.
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