artificial intelligence has become an important part for shoes produced in the province continue to exist one of the best in the world. HE Shoe Technology Center inescop developed a computer system based on artificial intelligence it looks like this Guardian of quality in shoe factories. The project, carried out under the leadership of the Robotics field of the technology center, The need for companies to have extensive control over every shoe producedovercoming limitations, human visual inspection.
The main purpose of this project Offers detailed and efficient quality control introducing X-ray machines in the final stage of production. The developed automatic system uses deep learning –“deep learning” English- for processes images coming out of the machine responsible for the scanner Analyzing the internal structure and composition of each shoe, thus detecting defects that escape human touch and vision. This breakthrough not only promises to revolutionize quality control, but it also suggests the potential for AI to be incorporated into other stages of the footwear industry, from design to manufacturing.
“With the neural network we developed at the technology center, we manage to mark images and create tags that allow us to detect ‘strange’ elements in your shoes. The idea is that operators working in shoe factories can perform their duties normally until AI software detects a problem and alerts workers so they can intervene. In this way, workers are prevented from doing a job. continuous shoe analysis” explained Carlos Vélez, the engineer responsible for the project in Inescop’s Robotics field.
Currently in project phase prototype stage Although it has collaboration partners whose vision is This technology becomes a marketable product that improves production quality. Alicante shoe industry. “Companies, especially in luxury brandsYears ago, they introduced X-ray machines to check the internal structure of shoes. However, we realized that this system has a major efficiency problem. Ultimately, this task was tedious for employees and created a bottleneck in the production chain as production always exceeded analysis capacity.“Vélez explained.
To complete the development of this software, Inescop cooperates with different shoe factories in the region. This unity allows them to know what the real needs of the industry are and at the same time deliver the solution to the factory. They continue to feed new data to this artificial intelligenceA combination that will allow you to deliver detailed and concrete results.
Vicente Pastor, manager of the Creaciones shoe factory in SW, is one of these collaborators and is now headquartered Factory in Peterr This is the area where the technology is tested. “It all stemmed from our visit to Inescop within the framework of our usual collaboration. “One of their members told us about a possible improvement to our quality control system and we thought it was a very interesting proposal and wanted to cooperate from the beginning.”
“We are currently entering the third phase, which we are already in. Evaluating feasibility and perfecting the machine learning process. This way the machine learns better in the real production environment and we check what is the best way to do it. Combine your technological contribution with the practical needs of our factory. its capacity add more information and increase traceability will allow us to record all kinds of events in the future, Thus, we increase our desire to give confidence to the customer.”says the priest.
Industry challenges
This innovative solution progress for the shoe industryBut there is also a challenge because the industry faces the following problems: The difficulty of moving to deep digitalization This allows developers to create technological solutions Collect data to develop algorithms to improve your production. “We work on raising awareness and collecting data to provide added value to factories. “If we want to benefit from artificial intelligence, we need to go digital and face the problem of image scarcity compared to other sectors.” highlights researcher from Inescop’s Robotics field.
A strategic approach to modernization and adoption of emerging technologies is vital to secure the footwear industry’s place on the global stage. “Most of the companies we contact They have aims to become more digital, but the reality is that the daily life of a factory where shoes are produced makes it very difficult to focus on digitizing some processes.. a lot of time You do not see the economic return of investing in digitalization in the short termBut if you never do this you’ll always be one step behind To get it. We need them to want to progress so we can continue to improve technological solutions makes us more efficient, Our goal is for us all to be at the same level.“explains Vélez.
According to Vélez, this return will further enrich the state’s shoe industry. By differentiating itself from its competitors, it can maintain its competitiveness with countries such as China. “Digitalization and efficiency provided by artificial intelligence They are necessary to compete with countries where labor and manufacturing are cheaper. To: To be more efficient with the same workforce, “We can sustain production at competitive prices and create more wealth in the process.”
More apps
Applicability of artificial intelligence Not only limited to the field of quality control but also Inescop thinks it can be applied in various areas of shoe manufacturing. For example, shoe designAccording to experts, artificial intelligence can be an essential tool for: model building, similar to how it works Models like ChatGPT in renderingwhich will provide designers an inexhaustible source of ideas to create new collections more efficiently and creatively.
However, in the production phase Carlos Vélez, leading researcher field of robotics, points out that today “We are too far away” developing tools that allow workers to be replaced by artificial intelligence programs, “but that’s not what we’re looking for.” “Despite technological advances, the manual dexterity required in shoe production still lags behind the current capabilities of artificial intelligence. At the hardware level, the lack of robotic hands capable of imitating human movements poses an obstacle to full automation of the production chain. A future is imagined where advances in different fields will combine to achieve this goal“The facts show that artificial intelligence in shoe production is still an ongoing evolution.”
Additionally, Vélez emphasized the importance of: Prioritize automation of tasks that pose risks to operators’ health. Like recent projects Removing the injected soles from the mold, “Demonstrate the approach to workplace safety by using computer vision to allow machines to perform hazardous tasks and allow workers to focus.” “Less risk, more value-added functions”The Inescop Robotics researcher explains: