Revolutionising industry with AI
From the left, Anton Koval, Associate Senior Lecturer and George Nikolakopoulos, Professor and Head of Subject
By using cutting edge technology and research, Luleå University of Technology will turn Norrbotten into the most advanced region in terms of the adaptation of robotics and AI in all of Europe.
– This is the future of industry, George Nikolakopoulos, Professor of Robotics and AI says.
Norrbotten is at a crossroads with the approaching major development projects. With completely new industries and plenty of new job opportunities there are two possible paths to go down. Either you look back at how previous industries have been built for over a hundred years, or you break the mould and create a new modern industry.
– What is happening now is an industrial revolution. Similar to how we went from working with our hands to use machinery we are now bringing in advanced robots to increase production, safety and much more, George Nikolakopoulos, says.
Autonomous robots
The future of industry is autonomous robots and AI. It has always been the case that research is ahead of the society, that is why the robotics and AI team at the university is currently working on applying their advanced research to build the new industry in the region. As a start they are assisting various local companies by solving problems in the production or processes for instance.
– Imagine a company which use a drone to inspect buildings, they do so by having a human controlling the drone and make it survey the building. By using our algorithms, the drone could become autonomous and would be able to inspect many more buildings each day, George Nikolakopoulos says.
These sorts of solutions are the beginning of a high-tech region, by adopting the robotic solutions offered by the university, the trade sector, companies and the region will develop and create a new standard of the future industry. We invest millions in factories but not enough in the technology which is needed to make the industry brilliant. This goal is achieved by a close partnership between the region, local businesses, and Luleå University of Technology.
– Simply put, the region has not adopted as much as they could have, we need new technologies and services to support the industry. We need to build an ecosystem of companies to provide this, Anton Koval, Associate Senior Lecturer in Robotics and AI, says.
Not only would an adaptation of this advanced technology imply higher production, lower costs and increased efficiency, but it is also a green transition.
Project description:
Robotics and automation technology are globally developing at a fast pace. Companies need support to give them the time and resources to acquire information and knowledge about the possibilities of robotics applications and evaluate its practical applicability in their business to enhance their manufacturing processes and products.
RoboDemo project, is aiming to develop and demonstrate technology transfer models and their implementation to ensure return on investment and increased applications of new technology-based innovation in the regions manufacturing SMEs.
In this project Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Group at Luleå University of Technology will provide research knowledge on a novel 5G-enabled drone for performing complex autonomous surveying, monitoring and inspection missions of the infrastructure at Nordic climate 365 days a year.