2024-01-31

Forward-looking Trends in Collaborative Drone Applications

Introduction Industrial applications for drones have garnered increasing market attention, as a wide range of drone solutions have gained market acceptance and are driving rapid market growth of drone service sales. Simultaneously, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted countries and companies alike to accelerate R&D in drone technology, spurring a new phase of growth for the global drone market. In spite of this new surge, some drone companies are already searching for the next wave of growth. Turning towards multi-machine collaboration and cross-UMV cooperation, companies hope to augment individual service units and leverage the advantages of unmanned vehicles to offer a wider array of application services. I.    Collaborative Drone Applications UAV technology and applications have developed rapidly over the past decade, attracting the attention of many industries. When war broke out in Ukraine, many countries and enterprises ramped up R&D investments in drones. Trends in drone technology have also shifted, moving from single-drone operations to multi-drone or cross-vehicle collaborative applications. The next wave of drone technology is projected to be in drone swarms, collaborations with unmanned vehicles on land, or with unmanned vessels at sea. Collaborative drones have diverse applications, allowing companies to provide cross-space service solutions. This in turn will also drive opportunities for unmanned vehicles. As such, the next wave of growth is also predicted for drones, unmanned vehicles, and unmanned surface or underwater vessels. II.  Collaborative Drone Patents Patent application trends often reveal the direction of technological development and shifts in market demand. A patent search was conducted using keywords such as “drone swarm” or “drone collaboration with other unmanned vehicles.” Patents related to drone-to-drone collaboration outnumbered all other collaborations, showing a strong interest in developing collaborative models between drones. The second highest number of patents were filed for drones and ground-based unmanned vehicles. Currently, there are very few patent applications for collaborations between drones and unmanned surface or underwater vessels, which may be due to a high technical threshold or uncertain potential for commercial development. The following is a case study of an industrial patent application from Amazon Technologies. Amazon Technologies Amazon Technologies is a technology research organization owned by Amazon, and its patented technology focuses on the collaboration of drone swarms and ground-based unmanned vehicles, with applications primarily in logistics. For more details, please refer to the patent titled "Cooperative autonomous aerial and ground vehicles for item delivery" obtained by Amazon Technologies in December 2019. A brief summary is given below: Patent no.: US10514690B1 Patent Abstract: The use of two or more autonomous vehicles, working in cooperation, to deliver an item between a source location and a destination location. For example, an autonomous ground-based vehicle may transport an item from a source location to a transfer location and an autonomous aerial vehicle will transport the item from the transfer location to the destination location. The transfer location may be at any location along a navigation path between the source location and the destination location. III. Existing Industrial Applications Collaborative drone applications are finding industrial uses in airports, aircraft inspection, agriculture, wind turbine inspection, bridge inspection, and urban construction sites. The following is a brief overview of current industrial applications. (I)  Airport and Aircraft Inspection In general, drones are prohibited from flying in or above airports. However, drones can be used to assist in airport and aircraft inspection. Airport runway and aircraft exterior inspections are traditionally assessed by the human eye, which carry inherent risks due to factors like visual acuity, time constraints, and the mental state of the inspecting personnel. In such instances, the use of drones equipped with precision optics can address shortcomings associated with human inspections. Figure: Tevel uses cooperation between drones and agricultural machinery to harvest fruit Source: Tevel Technologies Korean Air began testing drones for aircraft exterior inspections in December 2021. Four drones were used to inspect different sections of the fuselage to reduce inspection times and increase accuracy. In the event of a drone failure, the system will automatically redirect the other drones to complete the inspection. Inspections that would originally take 10 hours via traditional methods can be shortened to 4 hours, saving 60% of man hours and improving aircraft scheduling flexibility. (II) Agriculture Traditional fruit harvesting is extremely labor intensive, which must take into account rest times and working hours. Some startups are therefore exploring the use of drones for fruit harvesting. Tevel Technologies, an Israeli startup, combines drones with unmanned agricultural machinery by employing AI technology to identify the maturation of fruit and then dispatch drones for harvesting. This innovative approach is currently applicable to the harvesting of apples, plums, pears, and various other fruits. (III) Wind Turbine Inspection In order to carry out inspections without stopping the wind turbine, drone need real-time kinematic (RTK) precision positioning, and wind turbine blades must be marked to allow the drone to identify the relative position of the blades and itself. High-resolution cameras and infrared thermography sensors are needed to detect damage up to 0.5 inches deep in the blades. Wind energy companies can use drones to identify locations of damages, and then evaluate whether it is necessary to shut down for further inspection. If so, they can shut down the turbines and have human personnel access the blades to look for potential damage/defects/scars and repair them. IV. Conclusion Collaborative drone applications integrate the functions and advantages of different types of unmanned vehicles, providing more diverse service solutions. There are many opportunities and challenges for the innovative development of collaborative technologies and services. Hardware development will be expanded to include unmanned vehicles, unmanned ships or unmanned underwater vessels, which can build upon Taiwan’s existing supply chains. Software on the other hand, includes multi-drone control system interfaces, unmanned vehicle control technology, AI application technology, and information security management. Taiwanese manufacturers are advised to accelerate strategic positioning and collaborative applications in pivotal technologies and patents, which will better position them to benefit from the upcoming surge of growth opportunities in the drone industry.

2023-11-22

Powered by intelligent imaging technology, uplift cross-domain printing to new horizon

With the rapid development of Internet technology and digital media, the printing market has been consolidated and packaging printing and industrial printing have become key sectors for the transformation by printing companies. Now, with the support of smart technology and digital printing, cross-domain printing has been uplifted to the new heights. Since 2021, Industrial Development Administration has promoted the Printing Technology Research Institute (referred to as PTRI) to establish the "Advanced Graphic Design Application Center" to develop intelligent high-end graphic image processing and application technology. By means of integrating the common technical guidance required in cross-industry domains such as design, intelligent image processing, and pre-press processing, the IDC significantly promotes product innovation and quality upgrading. In 2022, PTRI applied this technology to assist Make Sense Co., Ltd. (image design), INKSUN Co., Ltd. (printing), and JipinIndustrial Co., Ltd. (interior decoration) to upgrade "Intelligent Image Processing and Reproduction Technology for Painted Transparent Building Materials Alliance. Compared with the stained glass on the market currently, which has monotonous images and is mostly printed in a combination of single colors, the alliance has introduced intelligent image processing technology that can quickly produce rich imitation natural materials, and applied mask processing to achieve the visual effect of gradual light transmission. Finally, combined with digital full-color direct inkjet technology increases the added value of building materials and glass products, and connected upstream and downstream partnerships from design, printing , decoration and construction to create diversified interior decoration design options, which is expected to increase the turnover of alliance members by 30 million TWD and beyond. In addition, with the rapid development of digital printing technology, the customized market has become mainstream. In order to meet the diverse surface decoration needs of consumers, production technology is gradually moving towards semi-finished products/finished products for printing and reprocessing, targeting three-dimensional products, PTRI cooperates with Inkcom Technology Co., Ltd. to apply digital camera image positioning technology to directly perform color printing on warped surfaces. It is also equipped with smart pattern style conversion and online 3D design platform to provide customers with real-time product patterns. Design tools and apply technological progress to Travel Fox Co., Ltd. for customizing inkjet shoes. In the future, PTRI will constantly provide the related technology support to help printing companies to expand into high value-added customized boutique markets such as sports caps, T-shirts, bags, and canvas shoes. The application of smart technology to printing-related industries is not limited to printing production, but also helps the industry develop a consistent creative service operation model from front-end design to back-end customized production, achieving a cross-domain multiplication effect. The Industry Development Administration will continue to promote the application of AI smart technology further to printing and processing, facilitate the printing industry turn around, strengthen manufacturing resilience and adaptability, and become a middle stand  in the manufacturing supply chain. Contact Organization： Consumer Goods and Chemical Industries Division,Industrial Development Administration,Ministry of Economic Affairs Contact Person： Ms.Chen Contact Phone： 886-2-27541255 ext. 2331

2020-06-16

Bosch eBike Systems opts to locate Asia Pacific headquarters in Taichung

World-leading engineering and technology company Robert Bosch GmbH held a ceremony on 16 June 2020 in Taichung to mark the establishment of Bosch eBike Systems Headquarters Asia Pacific. Among those on hand at the ceremony were: Jan Hollmann (Managing Director of Robert Bosch Taiwan); David Howard (the Vice President and General Manager Bosch eBike Systems Asia Pacific); representatives of Taiwanese bicycle and bicycle parts makers; Emile M. P. Chang (Director-General, Department of Investment Services, MOEA); Li Yi-an (Deputy Director General of the Taichung City Government Economic Development Bureau); Thomas Prinz (Director General of German Institute Taipei); Axel Limberg (Chief Representative and Executive Director of German Trade Office Taipei); and Freddie Höglund (CEO, European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan). Mr. David Howard stated that Taiwan plays a vital role in the global bicycle industry. In particular, he said, Taichung has a fully built up bicycle manufacturing cluster, and many of the world's eBikes are assembled in Taiwan, so Bosch hopes to get close to its customers and partners in the bicycle industry in order to provide better services and training, further upgrading the industry. Bosch eBike Systems has spent over a decade promoting eBikes throughout the world, and they have burst on the scene as a newly popular form of transport in Western countries. In the future, Bosch will rely on its base in Taiwan to develop the Asian market. Director-General Emile M. P. Chang noted that the US-China trade war has already prompted many multinational firms to adjust their global operations strategies. Recent escalation of the US-China trade war has accelerated preparations to relocate production facilities. On this front, it is especially worth noting that Taiwan has a deep pool of outstanding technical talent and strong industrial capabilities, and it attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights. At a time when global supply chains are getting reshuffled, Taiwan certainly ranks among the best choices for multinational corporations looking for new partners in innovation and cooperation. The fact that Bosch has continually built up its presence in Taiwan for many years now, and has introduced a lot of advanced technologies and services here, stands as eloquent testimony to its confidence in Taiwan's industrial prowess and the quality of the investment climate. Without a doubt, the launch of Bosch eBike Headquarters Asia Pacific will take Taiwan's bicycle to a whole new level as Bosch taps into the competitive strengths of Taiwan's bicycle parts makers, bike frame manufacturers, and assembly plants. As a leading player in the Internet of Things (IoT) field, the Bosch Group provides connected transport, smart city, industrial IoT, and smart home solutions. Bosch first set up operations in Taiwan in 1990, and now employs a total of some 450 persons at its three branches and three R&D centers here. Its Taiwan product lineup includes original manufacturer auto parts, after-market auto parts, transmission and control systems, security and safety systems, power tools, household appliances, and MEMS sensors. The combined operating revenues of the Bosch Group affiliates in Taiwan in 2019 reached NT$20 billion, up 26% from the previous year. Department of Investment Services, Ministry of Economic Affairs Spokesperson: James Chang, Deputy Director General Tel: 02-2389-2111#819 Mobile: 0937-013690 E-mail: jameschang@moea.gov.tw Business Contact: Ying-Ju Chen, Section Chief Tel: 02-2389-2111#210 Mobile: 0920-560681 E-mail: yjchen2@moea.gov.tw Images

2018-11-21

Experience & Opportunity sharing among i4.0 practitioners from Taiwan & Germany Enhancing global connections via the smart machinery industry

In order to globalize the domestic smart machinery industry, and boost the sharing of bilateral technologies as well as business opportunities, the 3rd Germany-Taiwan Smart Machinery Forum was held during the 2018 TMTS show on November 9, 2018 (Friday) at the Taichung City Precision Machinery Innovation Technology Park by the Smart Machinery Promotion Office and the German Trade Office, Taipei. The achievements listed below were witnessed by Dr. Ming-hsin Kung, Deputy Minister of the MOEA, Dr. Thomas Prinz, Director General of the German Institute Taipei, Mr. Kuang-Yau Chang, Taichung City Government Deputy Mayor, and Mr. Axel Limberg, Executive Director of the German Trade Office, Taipei, as well as other guests and the audience. One MoU was signed between Techman Robot Inc. and ATLANTA Antriebssysteme E. Seidenspinner GmbH & Co. KG, indicating that ATLANTA will be in charge of distributing Techman’s robotic facilities in Europe; another was signed between Asia Pacific Elite Corp. (APEC) and Siemens AG, indicating that APEC and Siemens will supply the needed software and hardware for collaboration on the digitalization of production lines; another was signed between Manford Machinery Co. Ltd. and IGUS GmbH, indicating that Manford Machinery and IGUS will engage in joint efforts to develop new technology for smart machinery implementation. Through the above-mentioned achievements, we endeavor to keep up with Industry 4.0 trends, accelerating the development of the domestic smart machinery industry, increasing global competence, and enabling in-depth bilateral collaboration in the global smart machinery market. The Smart Machinery Golden Award Ceremony was held preceding the above-mentioned forum. Gallant Precision Machining (GPM), the Fair Friend Group (FFG), GMM Corp., Ching Chan Optical Technology, Mobiletron, TECO Electric & Machinery, Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and TBI Motion were granted the Smart Machinery Golden Award in acknowledgement of their dedication to automated manufacturing. This award is to encourage industrial upgrading from precision machinery to smart machinery by selecting exemplary enterprises. Among the eight winners listed above, GPM has integrated experiences in promoting automation systems and intelligent manufacturing in the display, semiconductor, and solar power industries, and connected the equipment and processes in a scientific fashion, from points to lines, to intelligent machines for total solutions with intelligent diagnosis and smart prediction; TECO Electric & Machinery has been granted the honor of utilizing a number of self-developed smart technologies applied in the flexible smart motor production line, integrating ERP, MES, CPS, Big Data and machine vision in industrial robots. Through the forum, international enterprises are expected to be well informed of the progress of the smart machinery industry in Taiwan in order to boost potential collaboration. There were nearly 300 guests and audience members from Germany and Taiwan. Opening speeches were made by bilateral representatives; keynote speeches were made by Trumpf, Siemens, Advantech, Bosch, Toptek, IGUS, AIDC, etc., with topics regarding trend briefing, technology sharing, new IoT platforms for smart machinery ecosystems, new business models and smart manufacturing; a case study presented by DMG Mori and Techman Robot, and at the end a panel discussion was hosted by Mr. Han Pang Huang, Chairman of TAIROA, with representative speakers from the Smart Machinery Promotion Office, Advantech, Techman Robot, Siemens, Bosch and Trumpf, followed by interaction with guests and the audience with an in-depth Q&A regarding cooperation patterns, opportunity timing and long-term collaboration. Contacts Contact Organization: Metal and Mechanical Industries Division, Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs Contact Person: Mr.Chang Contact Phone: (02)2754-1255 ext. 2121

2018-11-13

The Winners of 2018 Controller Competition of Smart Machine Tools Announced

The IDB of MOEA commissioned the Precision Machinery Research & Development Center (PMC) to organize the 2018 controller competition as a platform to promote Taiwan controller application. The competition acquired not only the support of six sponsors, including DELTA, GEN TEC, LNC, SYNTEC, FALCON, Yang Iron and Blaser Swisslube Taiwan in providing machine tools and controllers, but also in arranging professional lecturers to develop a series of practical and software development courses for the contestants. Through focusing on machining operation by using Taiwan controllers and on developing software for smart machine or cloud service, contestants were able to learn from basic theories to high-end technologies the functions and applications of Taiwan’s controllers. This year’s competition attracted 119 contestants consisted of 33 teams from 16 schools.. National Chin-Yi University of Technology, National Changhua University of Education, and National Formosa University of Application Sciences took first place in Machining Performance Group. While National Chung Cheng University, National Chung Hsing University, and National Formosa University incorporated smart machinery discipline in creative application to earn their top 3 titles in the Creative Application Group. IDB will continue to promote Taiwan controller in the future, extend its application, and cultivate excellent machinery talents. Through this competition, we hope to encourage students to continue their endeavors in researching Taiwan controller technology and invest in the development of controller industry. List of winners: Machining Performance Group: 1st Place – SYNTEC: National Changhua University of Education 1st Place –LNC: National Chin-Yi University of Technology 1st Place – Delta: National Formosa University 2nd Place – SYNTEC: National Formosa University 2nd Place –LNC: National Chin-Yi University of Technology 2nd Place – Delta: National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology Creative Application Group: 1st Place: National Chung Cheng University 2nd Place: National Chung Hsing University 3rd Place: National Formosa University Honorable Mention: National Taipei University of Technology National Formosa University National Chin-Yi University of Technology National Formosa University National Changhua University of Education Contacts Contact Organization: Metal and Mechanical Industries Division, Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs Contact Person: Mr. Chang Contact Phone: (02)2754-1255 ext.2121