Engineering Industrial Applications with Generative AI

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September 22 – October 04, 2024
Sarntal Valley, South Tyrol, Italy

Instructors

Research Associates

Course Description

The objective is to create a comprehensive software application tailored for the Siemens Industrial Edge (IE) ecosystem, utilizing the predictive capabilities of ChatGPT. The primary aim of this software is to streamline the engineering, which covers the design, development, configuration, deployment, etc. of effective industrial edge applications through a prompting-based design approach.

The spectrum of IE applications ranges from applications with a single functionality that is installed and operated on one IE device, to applications that are interacting with cloud services, to applications that are installed on multiple IE devices and operated as a distributed, collaborative application.

Key components of this project include integrating ChatGPT’s capabilities to assist engineers in the design and development of industrial edge applications. The software should facilitate the formulation of intuitive prompts that guide engineers in making informed decisions and optimizing app functionality. The software should provide a user-friendly interface for engineers to interact with ChatGPT seamlessly. Given the dynamic nature of industrial processes and the evolving requirements of edge applications, the software must remain adaptable and responsive to changing circumstances. Therefore, it should have the capacity for updates and maintenance to accommodate new use cases and emerging industrial edge technology advancements.

The developed engineering software application should be validated in a tangible demonstration scenario engineering an IE based setup including minimum two industrial edge devices, a consumer device like an iPhone, and actors /sensors interacting with the environment.

Moreover, this initiative requires the incorporation of the open-source Industrial Edge SDK. Students must actively contribute to this SDK by implementing improvements and introducing new features. This dual focus on the software application and the SDK will foster an environment of continuous improvement and innovation.

By fulfilling this challenge, the team aims to empower engineers in the industrial domain with a powerful tool that not only expedites application development but also contributes to the evolution of the Industrial Edge SDK.

Industrial Edge

This year’s Ferienakademie offers the possibility to use the Industrial Edge ecosystem for the development process.

Siemens Industrial Edge (IE) is an open, ready-to-use edge computing platform, with edge devices, edge applications (apps) and connectivity through an integrated app and device management infrastructure.

It allows you to easily connect, manage and operate globally distributed edge installations, with your own or the diverse apps available through the Industrial Edge Marketplace.

Industrial Edge enables developers to generate important knowledge from the data gathered from machines, IT systems, the cloud, or other sources. With full control over it, it allows developers to optimize workflows, save resources, and improve quality.

Data is processed in real time directly at the individual machines and is not exported outside the company. Because of this and the possibility to avoid sending raw data, it lightens the load of IT infrastructure. With full control over the data, it can be defined which part of it is processed locally and which is optionally transferred to a cloud for further processing.

The Industrial Edge Community is a place where developers can share their knowledge and experience with each other, and offers documentation, open-source projects, along with tutorials and training courses. The Industrial Edge Community can be visited here, along with the forums, projects, and documentation sources offered by them.