Physical AI New Specification Makes Robots and Mobile Systems Smarter

Source: Profibus User Organization | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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Physical AI requires a unified understanding of positions, movements, and identities in space. This is exactly where the new companion specification comes into play.

Industrial automation is on the verge of a paradigm shift: machines, robots, and mobile systems are learning to "understand" space.(Image: © ipopba - stock.adobe.com)
Industrial automation is on the verge of a paradigm shift: machines, robots, and mobile systems are learning to "understand" space.
(Image: © ipopba - stock.adobe.com)

The automation industry has taken a decisive step towards "Physical AI": With the new OPC UA Companion Specification for Identification and Localization, a unified data model for spatial information is being created for the first time. According to a statement by AIM-D, Profibus & Profinet International (PI), and the OPC Foundation, the joint standard forms the basis for machines, robots, and mobile systems to consistently capture and interpret physical space.

The specification harmonizes absolute coordinates and identities across all systems, enabling seamless localization of assets in both digital and real process chains. For the industry, this means spatial data can be integrated into IT and OT architectures without additional effort. According to the organizations, this is a key component for autonomous transport devices, intelligent assistance solutions, and self-organized manufacturing environments.

This enables seamless integration of spatial data into industrial IT and OT systems, it further states. An important prerequisite for autonomous mobile robots, intelligent assistance systems, and self-organized production environments. The new specification is now available for free on the OPC Foundation websites.

"Machines need a unified understanding of their position in space for coordinated interaction between stationary systems and mobile robots in the flexible production of tomorrow," said Matthias Jöst, Committee Leader Omlox at PI. "With the now available OPC UA Companion Specification, the OPC Foundation, AIM-D, and PI are jointly creating the foundation for a new generation of spatially networked and AI-enabled systems."

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