Artificial intelligence in manufacturing

The nationwide rush to integrate AI into manufacturing passed through Pittsburgh in August, bringing representatives from industry, government, and academia together for the 2024 AIMST conferenceOpens in new window. The dual track conference, now in its eighth year, included sessions for AI in Manufacturing and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Technology.

After being held in Dallas for the past three years, organizers opted to come to Pittsburgh in part due to the strength of manufacturing research and activity at Carnegie Mellon and its Mill 19Opens in new window partner, the ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) InstituteOpens in new window.

“We are very happy to be in Pittsburgh,” said conference organizer, Robert Schaudt.

When considering the move to Pittsburgh, Schaudt said his first call was to Gary Fedder, who is the faculty director of Carnegie Mellon’s Manufacturing Futures InstituteOpens in new window and a university professor in electrical and computer engineeringOpens in new window. Fedder was also instrumental in establishing the ARM Institute, which is now one of 17 Manufacturing USA institutes.

Schaudt said the conference attracts those who want to learn more about new technology and discover what is possible by attending presentations and panel discussions with representatives from organizations that include NIST, NASA, Ford, General Motors, and US Steel.

Fedder was one of three keynote speakers during the conference. In his presentation, Research Driving the Future of AI in Manufacturing, he shared examples of how AI and machine learning are being used to advance robotics, additive manufacturing, and digital twin technology.

AI is pervasive at Carnegie Mellon. It is aiding nearly all our manufacturing research.

Gary Fedder, Faculty Fedder, Manufacturing Futures Institute

“AI is pervasive at Carnegie Mellon. It is aiding nearly all our manufacturing research,” said Fedder.

Pingbo Tang, an associate professor in Carnegie Mellon’s department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringOpens in new window, was also invited to be a presenter. During his Human-AI Co-Evolution in Lean Adaptation of Modular Building Production Systems, he discussed how AI agents can learn from production engineers and increasingly are able to help humans identify and resolve time and resource waste in producing modular building products with diverse customizations.

The ARM Institute’s Chief Strategy Officer Suzy Teele, who attended the conference, said the conference did an impressive job bringing together experts and practitioners to share actionable information and scenarios for the use of AI in manufacturing, including the panel discussion with ARM Institute consortium members from Boeing and GrayMatter Robotics.

There is so much hype and confusion around AI today, and this conference provided foundational knowledge and real-world examples to help attendees plan their own strategies for AI.

Suzy Teele, Chief Strategy Officer, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute

“There is so much hype and confusion around AI today, and this conference provided foundational knowledge and real-world examples to help attendees plan their own strategies for AI,” said Teele.