Partnership to explore use of AI for fleet inspections

Bloc Digital and the University of Derby have joined forces to look into how artificial intelligence can be used to help carry out fleet inspections in the rail and road industries.

The research partnership will investigate applying AI and deep learning systems to create highly accurate 3D representations of engineering parts from video and imagery.

Funded by Innovate UK, the study is seen as the first step towards opening up the emerging technology to the rail, transport and automotive industries and has the potential to significantly enhance the efficiency and power of quality checks.

The technology will enable inspectors to rapidly and easily create 3D replicas of critical parts in order to track their condition and degradation over time, improving predictive maintenance and asset lifespan.

Digital solutions firm Bloc Digital is an industry-leading specialist in creating operational solutions for engineering clients such as JCB, including digital twin, data visualisation and Internet of Things applications.

Deep learning is a subset of machine learning which focuses on training artificial neural networks to learn and make intelligent decisions from data.

Bloc Digital and the University of Derby will work together to test the feasibility of different methods of deep learning for engineering inspection.

Ben Roullier, product development lead at Bloc Digital, said: “Our expertise in photogrammetry, and in transforming images of complex machinery into visually accurate 3D models, has given us insight into the value but also the currently labour-intensive and widely inaccessible nature of such work.

“Deep learning has the potential to revolutionise the space.

“This project is a perfect opportunity for us to combine our understanding of the wants and needs of engineers with innovative technologies, enabling the industry to work smarter and more effectively.”

Dr Alaa AlZoubi, senior lecturer in computer science at the University of Derby, said: “Entering into a research partnership with a forward-thinking company to develop advanced AI solutions for the digital transformation of engineering inspections underscores our commitment to academic-industry collaboration.

“By joining forces, we aim to not only advance the frontiers of AI technology but also to impart invaluable insights from academic expertise in deep learning architecture design and computer vision into the development of solutions that meet the complex challenges of fleet inspections.

“This project provides an ideal platform to highlight the transformative potential that arises when academia and industry collaborate to create innovative, intelligent  solutions for the advancement of technology and its practical applications.”