AI in Manufacturing (AIM) #5: Time to Innovate

Time to Innovate was the fifth AIM event held at Chalmers focusing on AI and Extended Reality (XR). Some companies that participated in the event were Volvo, NVIDIA, Accenture and Ptc, who shared their implementations of these technologies as well as discussed current problems and possible solutions.

XR is now being utilized in daily operations. Volvo group has managed to accelerate onboarding and reduce production errors and operating time. The next step will be combining XR with “agentic” AI, so virtual environments don’t just display information but actively assist people in autonomous learning and decision-making.

Another important tool is digital twins, which allows engineers to test, optimize, and find problems before they happen in the real world. This is done through virtual copies of systems that are continuously updated with real-time data. An example is “Goteverse,” Gothenburg’s digital twin, used for urban planning, innovation and collaboration around new digital solutions. In manufacturing, digital twins are used to create a shared view of products and production systems.

Furthermore, automation and robotics improve both productivity and working conditions. IAC Sweden, which supplies aluminium, has introduced robots for heavy and repetitive work, reducing physical strain and exposure to dust for operators, while also shortening production time.

Still, the human perspective should be at the centre. Even as agentic AI becomes more capable, humans remain central and technology should be seen as a partner instead of a replacement. Solutions must be human centred and designed for operators, with good intuitive interface design to decrease cognitive load.