Intel and we partner to help developers deliver modular, retrofit solutions for automating heavy mobile equipment
Heavy mobile equipment (HME) operators across the construction, agricultural and mining industries are demanding even more from their assets, from excavators, graders, diggers and dozers to tractors, combine harvesters, backhoe loaders, drilling rigs, and much more. Why? High bandwidth 5G now offers them the potential for more intelligent, more connected, and more autonomous HME vehicles.
By more easily and cost-effectively harnessing new technologies such as artificial intelligence, deep learning, big data and computer vision, HME operators have the keys to the advanced telematics and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) they now need, along with the specific level of equipment autonomy desired. These technologies promise a huge leap forward for in-vehicle predictive analytics and near-instant communications between operators and machines.
However, while automated performance is the next step for HMEs vehicles, automating them can be hugely complex.
Getting it right, and at the right price, will bring operators new levels of efficiency, productivity, cost reduction, environmental compliance, and safety.
In construction, for example, predictive data enables proactive maintenance for allowing operators to accelerate performance and more easily coordinate groups of machines for improved scheduling and fueling. And farmers planting crops can achieve far greater precision - resulting in greater yields - from the data captured and applied in real-time from the HME’s multiple on-board sensors, and through machine-based deep learning. Equally, autonomous mining machinery can improve operations and safety by being manageable from a single remote location; connected vehicles and drill rigs can work around the clock, not only improving worker safety but also overall productivity and yield-levels.
Transforming HMEs requires fleet-specific software and hardware that can be applied to a variety of use cases
The good news is retrofitting of systems is breaking new ground in this effort, no matter how complex or rugged the environment. And Kontron and Intel are firmly in the driving seat. We are actively collaborating to help embedded system developers address their HME customer requirements with powerful, durable onboard edge computing platforms. These are based on industry standard COM Express® components which enable easier configuration and maintainability.
Using the COM Express® computer-on-module approach, our solutions are compatible with a manufacturer’s existing systems. System developers can therefore provide HME operators with retrofit connected machinery, taking advantage of cloud services to enable machine-to-cloud and machine-to-machine communications. They can also synchronize workflow among machinery using the cloud.
This approach also offers the flexibility for customization as well as longevity which aligns with HME long life cycle requirements, allowing fleet operators to maximize ROI on their assets. They can avoid investing in multiple technologies that become unique to each vehicle asset, and instead maintain familiarity with a single solution that is applicable to all types of rugged end-use cases.
Our EvoTRAC offers a validated, application-ready platform with built-in capabilities for in-vehicle AI, deep learning and high-performance embedded computing (HPEC)
Based on COM Express®, it features an Intel® Xeon® D processor, Intel® Dual 10GbE network adapter card, and multiple GPU options for machine learning and AI workloads. This helps accelerate time to market and leverages the Intel Distribution of OpenVINO toolkit, enabling high-performance computer vision and inference applications which can be more customized, optimized and more readily deployed.
Alternatively, the same platform can act as a building block to give developers a head-start on their own customized systems for autonomous applications but develop their own carrier board and resulting full solution.
How equipped are you to offer your HME customers financially viable solutions that can deliver the efficiencies and competitive advantage they’re looking for?
For more information about our range of industrial-strength embedded systems for HMEs visit:
https://www.kontron.com/de/produkte/systems/transportation-computers/in-vehicle-computers/c148440
Also read the exciting article on "embedded computing design" at:
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