Artificial intelligence (AI) is an evolving technology that is still growing, but it is undoubtedly getting better. 

For all we know, factories might not even need lights 20 years later, because most of them will be operated by AI. We see a lot of R&D happening within the AI framework, giving good results. Besides, we see newer frameworks coming in. 

AI-based visual inspection, too, has been growing by leaps and bounds, reshaping automotive inspection. It helps examine detailed defects in vehicles, providing automotive OEMs the opportunity for accuracy and cost-savings. 

One such company focusing on AI-based visual inspection is Lincode Labs, whose AI-backed visual inspection solution, Lincode Visual Inspection System (LIVIS), is its current focus. The company was started with complete research and understanding of the top challenges that manufacturers globally face. After interviewing close to 100 customers, 86 percent of them said that quality inspection happens to be their biggest challenge.

“We were intrigued by this and went to various quality inspection people and identified the technology they were using,” says Rajesh Iyengar, Founder and CEO, Lincode Labs, and goes on, “We went on to find out that the technology hasn’t changed for two decades and there were a lot of false calls in it. That’s when Lincode stepped in and built a product around specific challenges focused on the automotive industry.”

Automotive OEMs, too, look at specifically reducing these false calls and improving productivity, which Lincode has helped solve through its AI-backed visual inspection solution. “The industry standards were 150 to 200 false calls per million inspections. So, in our case, we are doing it in zero to four parts per million,” Iyengar cites.  

Iyengar further reveals that due to this, 80 percent of their customers are repeat orders. “That’s because they are completely happy with the inspection process and the way the inspection is automated,” he mentions.  

LIVIS
Traditional vision systems cannot catch up with AI, as Iyengar says. He avers, “LIVIS stands out because we have built it as a platform. The scalability becomes easier if you’re going to deploy it across multiple factories and locations. But also, the foremost important thing is that it is completely made as a product. Thus, AI is commoditised. With the LIVIS platform, we can bring the cost and time to deployment down.” 

Lincode’s role in the automotive industry
What’s interesting is that even if Lincode caters to the manufacturing industry as a whole, it first addressed the automotive industry. The company researched the market size of various manufacturing companies and the automotive industry took the top spot, with close to USD 542 billion of global value.  

“We started with the automotive industry but pivoted later,” Iyengar tells us and continues, “So, instead of looking at just the automotive or any other industry, we turned our attention to steel, metal, plastic, glass etc. We basically went to the surface and saw how steel and metal are produced today. Whether it’s a CNC machining or forging or casting process, these are major processes used for any industry across the globe involving steel and metal. We understood that steel and metal are dealt with in the same way globally. Therefore, it made sense to go to the surface and into these kinds of defects specifically, and then generalise that and start building a model towards it. This, plus making AI as a product, has made deployment easier across the globe.” 

R&D centre in Bengaluru
Lincode recently opened a new R&D centre in Bengaluru, which also has a significant role to play in deploying the company’s solution across the world.

Stressing on the fact that evolving models are important in AI, Iyengar states, “It’s a continuous process; it’s not that you just build a model and you’re set. We have a big roadmap in the product development, and the Bengaluru R&D centre is going to play a major role in that. We are going to conduct deep research with various data collected across the globe and do various testing with that.” 

Staying ahead
What’s more, Lincode recently closed a funding round in December last year. Catering to a constantly evolving industry like the automotive, Lincode, too, strives to make sure that its visual inspection solution stays ahead and is put to use. “There are about more than 600 parts in a car and each part is segregated – like the structure, wiring, engine components etc.,” Iyengar shares and continues, “These segregations are made so that we can target the sector of the product. For example, when it comes to engine blocks, there is a specific model with a huge data set around engine blocks. This is how we stay ahead of competition.” Iyengar also adds that their trials with various use cases made them understand that inspection alone is not important but also the way the inspection is done. 

Essential skill sets for AI vision systems
Leveraging AI-based visual inspection solutions in the automotive industry is bound to increase productivity, and the cost of labour will also come down because of automation. “Today, most manufacturers use secondary inspection, which can be cut off straight away. This will improve their productivity and also reduce the risk of delays,” Iyengar enlightens. 

Moreover, AI vision systems come with their share of essential skill sets to bring out the best in the automotive industry. Iyengar states that, in general, skilling is required for the factory people. “This could be at various levels,” he puts across and adds, “It could be for the operators, the IT administrator or even the software development team. Hence, deep training is required, which can be somewhat cumbersome because it could be a bit challenging for the operator. So, an IT person might be needed in order to help the operator every time there is a downtime.” 

Covid-19 and AI-backed visual inspection
Such training or skills could certainly come in handy, because Iyengar claims that the need for AI-backed visual inspection solutions in the automotive industry has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic. “Unplanned shutdowns happened during Covid, because of which employees could not report and manufacturing could not continue properly,” he responds and adds, “Hence, a lot of investments are happening because of this. In fact, even now, a lot of employees are still not reporting and the labour problem has become global. It has become tough to get skilled workers. This has led to the adoption of autonomous manufacturing for automotives, where AI is going to play a big role.”

Meeting industry requirements
For an industry that is an economic force globally, AI-based visual inspection is certainly meeting the high-quality requirements of the customers of the automotive sector. Plus, we already see companies like Volvo using the technology. Safety surpasses any requirement, and this requirement can be fulfilled if quality is top-notch. And quality will be at its best if automotive manufacturers can perform production quality inspections in the most efficient way. (MT)

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Chinese technology company InfiMotion presented its latest electric drive technologies at the 5th International Forum on Automotive Power Systems held in Songjiang. The event gathered industry experts to discuss the theme of ‘dual carbon drive, diversified win-win.’

The company showcased a dual motor assembly featuring a magnesium aluminium alloy shell, which it identifies as a world first for mass production. The assembly uses a patented 360-degree bidirectional, full oil cooling technology for heat dissipation. According to the organisation, the magnesium aluminium alloy housing reduces weight by 25 percent compared to traditional aluminium versions while maintaining hardness, aiding vehicle range and energy consumption.

InfiMotion also showcased magnetic field adjustable motors, which is intended to reduce no-load drag losses and optimise power consumption.

Furthermore, it also displayed ultra-high speed motors capable of 36,000rpm for high-performance applications and 9-in-1 electronic control units designed to integrate power domain control and reduce drive weight.

During the forum, Xu Zhe, a technology expert at InfiMotion, delivered a speech titled ‘The Era Wave of Cross Integration of Electric Drive Calibration and Data Science.’

The presentation addressed the integration of product technology with data science during the research and development process.

The exhibition resulted in exchanges between InfiMotion and several domestic and international enterprises regarding the production and application of future power systems.

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Bengaluru-headquartered AI fleet safety and performance solutions company Netradyne has announced the acquisition of Moove Connected Mobility, a European fleet intelligence and mobility company with presence across European markets.

The acquisition is part of Netradyne’s expansion and its strategy for the European region. By combining Netradyne’s platform with Moove’s presence, customer relationships and experience, the company aims to serve customers across the continent.

Moove will join Netradyne Europe, serving as a hub for regional sales, customer engagement, partnerships and market development. This structure allows Netradyne to increase growth in Europe while remaining close to customers, regulators, and partners.

Avneesh Agrawal, CEO and Co‑Founder, Netradyne, said, “Europe is a critical pillar of our global strategy. This acquisition reflects a clear commitment to building long‑term presence, leadership, and trust in the region. By bringing together Moove’s local expertise and relationships with Netradyne’s AI platform, we are uniquely positioned to support European fleets at scale while staying deeply anchored in the region.”

Moove’s leadership team has experience in the European regulatory and operational landscape for mobility. Jeroen Bruinooge, Former CEO of Moove Connected Mobility, will become SVP & GM, Europe at Netradyne. He will lead the European strategy, partnerships and customer success.

The teams will focus on solutions to help fleet operators with safety outcomes, driver performance, and operational insights. The acquisition also increases Netradyne’s ability to support customers seeking a platform across North America, Europe, and Asia. This move is part of Netradyne’s mission to build an AI company with investment in the markets it serves.

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Italian technology company Brembo has announced that its intelligent braking platform, Sensify, has entered commercial production for a major global vehicle manufacturer. The system is being fitted as standard across the entirety of the vehicles in the initial programme, representing the platform's first full industrial deployment.

Sensify is designed as a fluid-free architecture that replaces centralised hydraulic circuits with distributed intelligence at the wheel level. This design allows for the precision control, wherein the system enables continuous and accurate modulation of braking forces to maintain vehicle stability in variable driving conditions. The platform integrates with software-defined vehicle architectures, allowing manufacturers to deploy advanced functions across different vehicle segments. It is engineered to be adaptable with the technology supporting a range of applications from driver assistance systems to fully autonomous vehicles.

Following this production milestone, Brembo has secured additional contracts with new customers for the Sensify platform. The company expects to equip hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually, moving toward large-scale deployment of by-wire braking systems.

Daniele Schillaci, CEO, Brembo, said, “Sensify translates our vision of an intelligent, integrated braking platform into industrial reality. Designed to orchestrate the entire corner ecosystem, it supports safer mobility, while paving the way for the next generation of software-defined vehicles, reflecting our long-term purpose of shaping a Zero Accident Future”.

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Bengaluru-based technology company Tsuyo Manufacturing has been granted two patents for electric vehicle motor designs, increasing its portfolio to 29 innovations.

The company claims it has supplied 300,000 powertrains to 25 manufacturers across the commercial vehicle, agriculture and industrial sectors.

The first patent covers a bridge design for synchronous reluctance motors. This architecture increases torque density and efficiency whilst reducing energy losses and the requirement for rare-earth materials. The second patent focuses on a five-phase permanent magnet motor using a dual inverter system. This technology allows the motor to switch between modes for startup and torque demands and maintains operation if a phase failure occurs.

These technologies were developed through research and collaboration with the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur. The company recently received approval from the Government of Karnataka for a manufacturing expansion to increase powertrain production.

Vijay Kumar, Founder and CEO, Tsuyo Manufacturing, said, "These patents mark a significant milestone and recognition in our mission to develop and promote Design-In-India technology for both domestic and global EV markets. At Tsuyo, we are not merely creating components; we are engineering a comprehensive design approach, crafting fundamental technology to drive sustainable and impactful innovation. Our goal is to offer a resilient powertrain system that addresses real-world performance challenges in electric mobility. Our commitment to deep-tech innovation, supported by a strong in-house R&D team and robust academic collaborations, enables us to challenge conventional construction and topology in hardware. This approach allows us to create niche, modular designs that are manufacturable and scalable, delivering solutions that enhance efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness for OEMs. We take pride in being India's fastest research and engineering startup, consistently advancing our research from TRL1 to TRL9 levels. As India moves towards electrification, we are proud to contribute to the 'Design in India, for the world' vision while expanding our IP portfolio with numerous innovations in the pipeline."

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