Living and Working Well with Artificial Intelligence

You walk into the house holding bags of groceries and it’s dark inside. But you say, “Turn on the lights” and the house lights up so you can safely make your way to the kitchen.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being harnessed to give consumers hands-free options for managing the lighting, temperature, and even music at home.

The technology has its growing pains, yet the developments will continue and create new business opportunities.

Products

Imagine saying, “Switch on the light in the living room.” The lights turn on and there is a reply, “The lights in the living room have been switched on.”

Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google’s Google Assistant are among the most visible players in the smart home industry.

Robotics manufacturer ABB, a member of Robotic Industries Association, is also working to develop voice solutions for the home. The ABB-free@home®, intelligent voice control enables voice commands to be recorded and carried out to adjust lighting, heating, and window shades.

Early users of voice command technology are witnessing the growing pains and payoffs. A writer who penned an article in the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s Siri: A Lot Smarter, but Still Kind of Dumb, details how the device was only used to turn on the morning alarm.

Now it can summon a ride-sharing service and pay for lunch among other tasks. The shortcomings include the fact that Apple has restrictions and many apps may not be able to sync with the product.

Progress

AI systems are built on neural networks, similar to the human brain. A website, Aitopics.org, maintained by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), presents the risks and rewards of artificial intelligence and the many ways it is being used. Smart home technology is one of the most robust markets.

ROI Calculator

Discover the potential cost savings of robotic automation over a 20-year system life

This calculator compares your current manual labor costs against the total cost of owning and operating a robotic system over its 20-year lifespan.

EXPLORE TODAY

Look for the smart home lighting, entertainment, HVAC systems and more to be worth $121.73 billion dollars by 2022, according to a report from Markets and Markets. That’s an all-encompassing figure and relates to lighting, home entertainment, HVAC systems and more.

Manufacturers continue improving their products and end users are willing to forge ahead. Voice control won’t replace the remote and homeowners don’t need to completely revamp their entire house. Starting with one room or buying a single device with the voice control built in is a good way to start.

Proceeding

The advice given to homeowners to start small rather than big is also a guideline for factories.

Companies who want to harness the power of machine-to-machine communication and artificial intelligence should identify a particular problem or “a pain point, a business risk you wish to protect against” as noted in Making the Intelligent Factory Today on the Motion Control and Motor Association website.

Identify the strategy to use intelligence and connectivity to address that problem. The investment will be smaller and the scope of the problem easier – and faster – to address.

The growing use of Artificial Intelligence and machines sharing data shows the convergence taking place in what is “a period of collaboration, connectivity and convergence that will catapult us into a world teeming with automation in every aspect of our lives” as described in the article Robotics 2015 and Beyond: Collaboration, Connectivity, Convergence on robotics.org.

At home and in the factory, smart technology is available at the touch of the finger and the sound of our voices. It’s still evolving but the benefits are being widely embraced.

Learn ways to capitalize on technology from robots that tend machines to autonomous vehicles and intelligent systems. Stay up-to-date using resources on A3.