Embedding artificial intelligence into the entire business line, with over 100 AI projects currently underway
Joining hands with partners and investing in start-up technology companies to further expand AI innovation capabilities
AI powered automation and electrification solutions to support Chinese customers in unlocking the potential value of AI
The wave of artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented speed, profoundly changing many industries. ABB's various businesses are accelerating their pace of AI innovation, upgrading their strategic layout, and increasing investment. At the ABB Artificial Intelligence Strategy Conference held in Shanghai, Dr. An Shiming, President of ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation Division, introduced ABB's latest strategy and application achievements in the field of artificial intelligence, and shared ABB's implementation path and application deployment for analytical AI and generative AI. By combining artificial intelligence with professional knowledge, ABB helps customers unlock new scenarios, create new value, and form new quality productivity.
ABB has accumulated profound experience in the field of artificial intelligence. Since 2014, we have continued to create value for our customers through AI enabled automation and electrification solutions. The rapid development of generative AI has triggered a new round of industry transformation and leap, making machines smarter, more powerful, and easier to use, lowering the threshold for automation applications in enterprises of all sizes, and also meeting the needs of users for higher flexibility and intelligence in labor shortages and uncertain environments. ABB will work closely with customers, partners, and the education industry to promote innovative development of artificial intelligence and jointly build a better and prosperous future
AI innovation accelerates empowerment of all business lines
As a global technology leader, ABB is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into its automation and electrification product portfolio, helping customers in fields such as power, industry, transportation, and infrastructure improve efficiency, quality, and innovation capabilities. ABB has launched over 100 artificial intelligence projects focusing on AI application areas such as insight generation, process optimization, skill development, and human-computer interaction, balancing analytical AI and generative AI.
ABB's four major businesses of electrical, motion control, process automation, robotics, and discrete automation have all applied artificial intelligence to serve customers in various industries. From macro level energy management to micro level robot motion path planning, artificial intelligence can effectively optimize operations and achieve doubled energy efficiency. Typical cases include:
Building Energy Management: ABB utilizes building system data combined with behavioral patterns to significantly reduce emissions, lower costs by over 20%, and extend equipment lifespan.
Predictive maintenance: By analyzing operational data, ABB uses artificial intelligence to assist in predicting potential faults in frequency converters, significantly improving equipment availability and reducing maintenance costs.
Industrial Analysis: ABB Ability ™ The Genix industrial analysis and AI suite helps businesses save up to 40% on operational and maintenance costs, increase production efficiency by 30%, and optimize energy and emissions by 25% through process optimization.
Human computer interaction: ABB uses natural language instructions to teach robots how to pick and place, improving usability and facilitating quick debugging.
Robot+promotes the collaborative integration of AI and industry
The world today is facing major trends such as personalized consumption, accelerated digitization and artificial intelligence, labor shortages, and increasing uncertainty. ABB provides leading robotics and automation solutions to increase production capacity and quality, enhance flexibility and usability, and help businesses respond flexibly and efficiently to these challenges and opportunities. The application of artificial intelligence makes it possible for more cost-effective robots and automation, especially benefiting small and medium-sized enterprises.
With the support of data and artificial intelligence, robot autonomy has been elevated to a new level, enabling adaptive capabilities in new environments. By integrating artificial intelligence into robot solutions, ABB not only brings greater autonomy to users, but also achieves stronger mobility and image processing and analysis capabilities. Specific applications include:
Quality inspection: ABB provides an artificial intelligence robot welding quality inspection system, which is 20 times faster than manual inspection and can identify defects as small as 22 microns.
Predictive maintenance: Based on AI evaluation criteria learning, ABB robot fault prediction accuracy can reach 99.9%, with 1 to 3 months of advance warning, achieving zero production interruption.
Autonomous drilling: ABB robots are equipped with sensors and AI systems to assist Xunda in drilling and installing anchor bolts in elevator shafts, greatly improving construction accuracy and operational safety.
Item picking: With the support of 3D vision guidance and AI deep neural network, ABB robots can quickly and accurately pick up randomly placed workpieces, and can perform 1400 picking operations per hour.
Autonomous Mobility: ABB applies 3D Vision Synchronized Localization and Map Building (VSLAM) technology to autonomous mobile robots, enabling them to make intelligent navigation decisions based on their surrounding environment.
Expand AI innovation capabilities and ecosystem construction
To meet the growing demand for robot solutions empowered by artificial intelligence, ABB actively invests in expanding production facilities and enhancing AI innovation capabilities. A world-class robot super factory has been built and put into operation in Shanghai, and a new center for artificial intelligence, digitization, and software innovation research and development has been launched; Expanded existing robot factories in the United States and Sweden to increase production capacity and develop new generation artificial intelligence technologies.
ABB adopts a combination of endogenous growth and mergers and acquisitions to promote innovation and implementation of AI technology, and build an AI application ecosystem. By investing in promising AI startups, ABB continuously expands new technologies, understands new industries, and explores new business models. For example, in early 2024, ABB acquired Swiss startup Sevensense to expand its leadership position in the field of next-generation AI autonomous mobile robots, and acquired a majority stake in research and development engineering company Meshmind to enhance its research and development capabilities in the areas of artificial intelligence, industrial IoT, and machine vision.
The cornerstone of the success of artificial intelligence is talent. ABB has long supported the cultivation of AI innovation talents and industrial application talents, including collaborating with companies such as Google to organize Hackathons and partnering with the Chinese Society of Automation to host the ABB Cup Intelligent Technology Innovation Competition. Han Chen, President of ABB Robotics China, stated that China is the world's largest robotics market and ABB will continue to promote innovation in AI technology.
