S TAT E O F T H E I N D U S T RY
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A Technology-Driven Transformation is Underway
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responses submitted by Jay Iyengar, Chief Technology Officer, CNH Industrial
Development and incorporation of technologies such as automation and smart systems is creating a more advanced heavy equipment industry. Data, IoT & Connectivity How will the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) and data continue to progress in the coming years? Digital technology provides exciting possibilities for machine automation and remote monitoring. Embedded electronics, new sensors and data analytics methods (AI/ML) allow you to automate more and more key machine functions, leading to full automation and autonomously operating intelligent vehicles. Connectivity is an enabler for remote monitoring and data collection creating new business opportunities such as precision farming, gathering machine operational and performance data, agronomic data and sending data to the machine to control the operations to enable new “machine as a service” models. In summary, benefits of IoT and data analysis are limitless. They are centered around efficiency, cost savings, decision making, and operator enhancement. To use agriculture as an example: We can monitor nearly every aspect of a farming operation, whether it be tillage, planting, spraying, or harvesting. Data collection and digital tools allow us to reduce waste and improve crop management. We can also maximize available labor and input resources and track performance. At the end of a crop season, we can use our yields to determine how to approach the next season. IoT and Big Data will shape the industry in the years to come.
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Do you see a path toward the use of AI, VR or AR in your manufacturing processes, or even on-board the vehicle itself? Adoption of any technology is centered around value creation and these are at different stages of maturity on the road-map, but rapidly growing. I see AI (artificial intelligence) having a broad application in many areas for our products, both on-board and off-board, especially in providing actionable insights from large data sets. It’s not the data but its analysis and resulting insights that matter, and to that end, the application of AI is limitless starting from diagnostics and prognostics to advanced machine controls. In agriculture, we see AI as a foundational need to drive full agronomy. We are also seeing the benefit of AI in manufacturing processes especially in quality management and operational efficiency. VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) technologies have an immediate application for remote services, repair and training of service and manufacturing personnel. We are also seeing an increased use in the area of customer experience: for example, we can simulate an interactive cab environment for customers which can help them in their decision-making process before purchasing the vehicle. In our manufacturing plants, we are beginning to apply these technologies for operator training, process control, etc. as a part of our Industry 4.0 transformation. We are also increasing the
application of AR/VR technologies in product development with the ability to create a “real world” digital twin prior to proceeding with the detailed design.
Challenges & Opportunities What are some of the biggest opportunities you see in the industry? Our ability to drive transformation through technology depends on the speed with which we bring solutions to the market in a targeted way so that customers can see the value immediately. At CNH Industrial, we do believe that open innovation and partnerships become critical to ensure speed and co-create customer value. Transformation of the technical skills of the industry as a whole, not just in product development, but the full value chain including supply chain, sales, maintenance and service is needed to ensure adoption and we have a great opportunity to transform the overall image of the company towards becoming a high-tech industry. The main challenges in any new technology is wide market adoption. Key to driving adoption is to remain focused on the customer. To this end, it is important to think about modularity, create building blocks of technology which can be progressively deployed with incremental features and functions. With the rapid pace of progression of underlying core technologies, the challenge is to make sure the solutions do not become obsolete. |
OEM Off-Highway | OCTOBER 2020
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9/18/20 9:15 AM
