Amazon is rolling out inexpensive new tools that will allow factories around the world to monitor their workers and machines, as the tech giant seeks to increase its presence in the industrial sector.
Launched by AWS, Amazon’s cloud arm, the new machine-learning-based services include hardware to monitor the condition of heavy machinery and computer vision capable of detecting whether workers are respecting social distancing.
Amazon said it has created a low-cost two-inch sensor, Monitron, which can be connected to equipment to monitor vibrations or abnormal temperatures and predict future outages.
Meanwhile, AWS Panorama is a service that uses computer vision to analyze images collected by cameras within the facility, automatically detecting safety and compliance issues, such as workers not wearing PPE. or vehicles driven in unauthorized areas. .
The new services, announced at the company’s annual cloud computing conference on Tuesday, represent a step forward in the tech giant’s efforts to collect and process real-world data in areas it says are currently underserved.
“If you look at manufacturing and the industry in general, it’s a space that has seen innovations, but there are a lot of parts that haven’t been digitized or modernized,” said Matt Garman, sales manager. and AWS Marketing, speaking with FT. .
“Locked up in machines”
“There is a ton of data in a factory, manufacturing plant or supply chain. It’s just locked in sensors, locked in machines that many companies could get great value from.
Amazon said it has installed 1,000 Monitron sensors at its distribution centers near the German city of Mönchengladbach, where they are used to monitor parcel handling conveyor belts.
If successful, said Jefferies analyst Brent Thill, the move would help Amazon consolidate its position as a dominant player in cloud computing, in the face of growing competition from Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, as well as an extended streak. slow growth of the segment.
“This idea of predictive analytics can go beyond a factory,” Thill said. “You can get in a car, on a bridge or on an oil rig. You can fertilize many different industries.
Several companies are already testing AWS Panorama. Siemens Mobility said it would use the technology to monitor traffic in cities, but did not specify which one. Deloitte said it was working with a large North American seaport to use the tool to monitor the movement of shipments.
“It’s easy for us to worry”
However, Amazon’s use of tools to monitor employee productivity has raised concerns among critics. Throughout the pandemic, the company has used computer vision to ensure employees adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Swami Sivasubramanian, AWS Head of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, said none of the advertised services will include “pre-packaged” facial recognition capabilities, and said AWS will block customers who abuse of its terms of service relating to confidentiality and data monitoring. .
“When you look at this technology, sometimes it’s very easy for us to worry about how it can be abused,” he told the FT.
“But the same technology can be used to keep workers safe. Are people walking in spaces where they shouldn’t be? Is there an oil spill? Don’t they wear helmets? These are real world issues.
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