IBM, Samsung Electronics, and M1 have unveiled the IBM Industry 4.0 Studio, which will combine advanced 5G connectivity with artificial intelligence (AI), hybrid cloud and edge computing capabilities to develop and test innovative Industry 4.0 solutions for enterprises in Singapore and across the region.
The studio simulates operational use cases that demonstrate how businesses can harness the power of hybrid cloud and AI technologies and advanced 5G capabilities to transform critical operations and drive new value — from improving quality and productivity in production lines to empowering service and quality control personnel.
Also, the studio will develop, test and benchmark real-world Industry 4.0 use cases involving autonomous guided vehicles, collaborative robots, 3-D augmented reality, and real-time AI visual and acoustic recognition and classification.
IBM has worked with Samsung and M1 to deliver solutions that take advantage of the ultra-low latency, high reliability, and security of 5G connectivity. The effort combines Samsung’s standalone 5G network solutions and mobile devices with IBM’s hybrid cloud, edge computing, and AI technologies, as well as M1’s engineering and network services expertise in the designing and integration of 5G SA solutions and formulation of 5G test cases to meet regulatory requirement.
Built on Red Hat OpenShift, the Industry 4.0 use cases employ IBM’s AI solutions for visual and acoustic analysis and augmented reality technologies.
Supported by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority as part of Singapore’s 5G journey, the studio is hosting the country’s first 5G Industry 4.0 trial, testing real-world applications that can be applied in the manufacturing sector, while measuring and optimizing the performance of enterprise 5G for industrial use.
With full fledged 5G standalone capability covering at least half of Singapore by the end of 2022, Singapore is expected to drive more businesses to evaluate how they can integrate 5G into their existing operations. But they need a way to trial new use cases to evaluate their adoption strategies and return on investment.
Samsung and IBM have been collaborating in delivering new solutions for enterprises to develop the power of 5G that will increase productivity and unlock new business opportunities.
“It is crucial these businesses have an opportunity to test and evaluate these technological investments, and we are committed to working shoulder to shoulder with them to ensure they make the best decisions that will truly propel their businesses forward.” said Brenda Harvey, general manager of IBM APAC.
There are seven focus areas being explored via the studio, namely visual recognition solutions using IBM Maximo Visual Inspection, acoustic insights, augmented reality solution, complex use cases for automated guided vehicles and collaborative robots, AI models developed and deployed on edge servers, container-based applications, and 5G end-to-end solutions and vertical use cases for private networks.