9. SPS-Conference

From 13:30 To 17:00

FH Kufstein Tirol, “Festsaal” (Festivities Hall)

Fri 17 Nov

The focus of the 9th SPS conference is:

AI IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

AI - Quo Vadis?

Terms such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning and ChatGPT are currently buzzing through the information ether. It is often unclear what is behind the individual terms and how they are related. The lecture will define the terms used in the field of artificial intelligence and establish connections between them.

AI AND CONTROL ENGINEERING

Requirements such as zero-defect production, sustainability, resilience or semi-autonomous behavior are placed on industrial systems. We meet these requirements with modern concepts of optimization and control engineering in combination with methods of artificial intelligence. Results from the metal industry, drive technology and robotics demonstrate the existing potential in these areas.

USING TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION SOFTWARE – THE REPLACEMENT FOR THE ENGINEER?

The lecture will be about the fact that the use of topology optimization software is a useful tool at one point or another, but that engineering expertise is still needed to correctly transfer reality into a virtual model and to interpret the results correctly. In my opinion, only an engineer can do this, because the software calculates but does not check the result for plausibility.

AI IN DIGITAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT – A SUCCESS STORY

It was a long journey from the initial idea to development and productive use. Our journey began in 2014, when we recognized the potential risks of ever-increasing amounts of data in product development. We had to find a future-proof solution, learned from our mistakes and always dealt intensively with the concerns of customers and users. Today, our AI is used daily to validate digital prototypes. In 2023, we were awarded the Bavarian SME Prize for this.

ON ARTISAN DESIGN WITH AI

Openai has made the image generation software Dalle-3 accessible as a dimension of ChatGPT, during which you can talk to the AI on the phone and discuss the design. The well-known depth map has also found support in AI. This can be used to convert photos or generated renderings into metal-printable 3D meshes, enabling us to produce our designs as a mold, for example. In a new research project for the New Design University, in which I am involved, the focus is on the productive connection between AI and craftsmanship: our goal is to carry out an AI-supported design project with producing designers. Among other things, we want to design SLM-printed hand tools made of metal to enable spectacular craftsmanship and surprising products.