How AI is helping companies keep industrial workers safe amid coronavirus
by Rukmini RaoCoronavirus impact: Using existing infrastructure in factories such CCTV cameras and employee ID chips, 'Industy.AI' has come up with new solutions to address social distancing concerns and smart monitoring of employees on shop floors
As manufacturing and automobile companies slowly open up, operations at their plants, keeping workers and workplace safe from coronavirus infection has become one of the top concerns. JLL that conducted a workplace survey on attitudes toward re-entry found that people were generally concerned about returning to work and were worried about office cleaning procedures and the proximity of co-workers. Companies are looking at smarter manufacturing processes at plants that draw insights from Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain technologies.
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Recently Lucas TVS, a wholly owned subsidiary of TVS, adopted Industry.AI's solution to maintain social distancing at the factory floors. The Enterprise AI and Industrial IoT solution - 'Trust AI' uses neural network models and mathematical models to monitor and issue alerts when anyone is in a less than desired distance from a colleague. The product uses existing IP cameras and CCTV cameras combined with computer vision powered video analytics to ensure social distancing is enforced, and when breached, an alarm is triggered. The technology can also detect when people are not wearing masks, helmets, or safety gear and alert the person via phone, email or to the administrator.
Tejpreet S Chopra, CEO of Industry.AI said that currently most MSMSs and manufacturing companies are not just worried about infection but also costs that may be incurred if incidences are reported on the factory floors. Apart from Trust AI the company's two other solutions 'Spot AI' and application 'Us' are further intended to secure workplaces. Tejpreet said, "In terms of a lost cost solution, the new app Us sends out an alert by sensing each other's cell phones. Unlike other contact tracing apps, the data is monitored and used within the safe zone of the factory premises."
The other product Spot AI is similar to indoor applications used in factories, hospitals and commercial office buildings that use the tagging method. In large factory floors, tools are tagged to help companies locate them. To track, employees chips are embedded in ID cards or in wrist bands which send an alert (vibration or light) when people get close. The technology infrastructure installed is also used to track all assets, tooling, forklifts, shipments, inventory and people on a real time basis - to drive employee productivity and asset productivity. While these solutions are currently industry ready, Tejpreet said the same could be also used in coming days to provide effective social distancing solutions in public spaces.
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