BMW has been implementing new production processes in its factories around the world for some time. From robots that transport parts across the compound to exoskeletons for employees, a number of innovative functions have been added to the mix. Today, the Bavarian manufacturer announced the publication of its AI algorithms used in production for use by anyone interested. They are now available on the popular GitHub platform.
The published algorithms are mainly part of various AI applications, in particular in the field of automatic image recognition and image marking. By making this public, software developers around the world can view, change, use and improve the source code. “With the algorithms that we are now publishing, the BMW Group has significantly reduced development time for neural networks for autonomous transport systems and robots,” said Dirk Dreher, head of logistics planning.
Neural networks independently compare live images in production and logistics with image databases to detect deviations from the target status. The open source approach benefits both interested software developers and the BMW Group. “We provide elements of our innovative digital image tagging software, which has proven to be effective in multiple AI applications; in turn, we receive support to take our AI software to a higher level of development. This also enables us to focus more strongly on the development of specific AI applications in production and logistics, “said Christian Patron, Head of Innovation, Digitization, Smart Data Analytics.
“We are making major investments in artificial intelligence. By sharing our algorithms with the global developer community, we want to do our bit and make AI accessible to a broad group of users. We expect further open source development to lead to rapid and flexible progress of the software, “adds Kai Demtröder, Head of Artificial Intelligence, Data Platforms at BMW Group IT.
In accordance with the open source approach, all users of the algorithms are guaranteed to be anonymous. Any errors in the algorithms can be identified quickly; in addition, automated functions of platform operators can also be used if necessary. To ensure quality, the BMW Group checks all users' incoming suggestions before they are used or shared productively. The model – in other words, the actual AI application developed with these algorithms – always remains protected. All users are free to decide whether they want to make their models accessible to partners, such as suppliers.
Source: https://www.bmwblog.com/2019/12/13/bmw-shares-ai-algorithms-used-in-production-available-on-github/
Tags: AI, BMW, SHARE