Hitachi, Fanuc and AI startup to form automation joint venture

The joint venture, Intelligent Edge System, will be based in Yamanashi Prefecture, where Fanuc is headquartered, and will be headed up by Yutaka Saito, currently an executive at Hitachi. He will take up the post of senior executive vice president at Fanuc on 1st April and become the joint venture's CEO.

Intelligent Edge System will develop fast, real-time control systems for network-linked industrial robots and machine tools by combining Fanuc’s technologies and expertise in machine tools and robots, Hitachi’s knowledge of control technologies and other aspects of OT and IT in manufacturing, and PFN’s deep learning and distributed computing technologies. By utilising deep learning AI technology, these control systems will ‘learn’ and ‘become smarter’ as linked machines manufacture products.