AI-Empowered Image Recognition Technology Determines Success Rate of BMW Group

Much of the cars are now capable of doing more than just driving and parking. In the past few years, the automotive industry has accelerated its stature by incorporating several smart facilities in the car and technologies like artificial intelligence should be thanked for that. AI has some significant contribution to the upsurge of auto-production. The big players (like BMW) of the automotive industry are ones to adopt such amazement at vital scale.

One of the major reputed auto-companies, BMW has embraced AI applications and solution in its series production since 2018. The most significant focus is automated image recognition in which AI evaluates component images in onboard production and compares them in milliseconds. Consequently, an AI solution determines variations from standard in real-time and keep an eye on if all required parts have been attached and mounted at the right junction.

AI technology is high paced, accountable and reliable and also possess the feature of easy usability. Christian Patron, Head of Innovation, Digitalization and Data Analytics at BMW Group Production said that AI offers great potential and helps the company maintain its high-quality standards and at the same time relieves its people of repetitive tasks.

Additionally, all the permanent camera portals have been replaced by flexible AI application with a simpler implementation. Now even a small mobile standard camera is enough to take relevant pictures in production. The simple pictures taken create an image database for building a so-called neural network. This neural network then evaluates the images without human interference. This sets employees free from writing codes.

The technology is also capable of identifying moving objects avoiding interfering factors such as the lighting in the production area or the exact camera position. Eventually, this emancipation leads to opening up the wide range for potential applications, embraced in the whole automotive process chain along with logistics. In most of the cases, AI releases employees from performing mundane and repetitive tasks as well.

BMW Group's Dingolfing plant, an AI application that compares vehicle order data to the live image of the model designation of newly produced car, is used at the final inspection stage of production. In any disparity during the ideal case examination, final inspection team receives a notification to fix the issue.

The rise in the potential of carmakers and cars is eventually a win for technology aimed at improving the lives of people and advancing production processes for better success rate in businesses.