Unlike many other industrial trade fairs, HANNOVER MESSE is known for not only showing applications and products that are newly available on the market; the international event also provides space for exciting and future-proof project studies by courageous and resourceful developers, and so it often acts as a pioneer for many technologies that can change the world of industry. SEW-EURODRIVE is also presenting research and development topics of this kind at the HANNOVER MESSE, taking visitors on a journey to the automated factory of the future.

The Startup Agent speaks to the inverter via chatbot

A small pedestal, a conveyor belt reduced to a minimum, an asynchronous gearmotor, an inverter, and a PC with a screen – that is all you need to demonstrate what Leon Kontny, head of Web Software Development at SEW-EURODRIVE, and his team have devised to revolutionize the startup of simple applications with the support of artificial intelligence (AI).

"For this trade fair model, which we call the Startup Agent, we thought that users would like to move the conveyor belt using a keypad," says Leon Kontny, describing the use case. "In practice, this might be the case, for example, if the automatic mode fails. It should then still be possible to move the conveyor belt using a keypad. For this to work, the inverter must be parameterized accordingly. To do so, we use the "Startup Agent", an AI solution that we have programmed."

However, the highlight of the exhibition setup is what happens on the screen. A chat window is displayed there that works in the same way as a standard chatbot. "Here, I can write what the inverter should do if I want to control the conveyor belt using the keypad," explains Jonas Dunker, UX specialist in Leon Kontny's team. "After that, the Startup Agent asks me about the motor data and then I've finished. The AI takes over the rest in just seconds."

"If you wish, you can first write everything you need into a Word file, think in advance of all the questions that the AI might ask, and then copy the text into the chat window. Ideally, you will then be finished in a single go," continues Leon Kontny. "Sometimes, however, there's a lot to think about, or you might happen to forget something. Then you need to go step by step. When you switch on the inverter, the AI asks you which motor you are using and what the key data of the application is, and so you are guided safely through the system."

Software interface visualizes what arrives in the inverter via the chat

But the developers were not satisfied with that. In their project, it was important to them that users always have a sense of trust. At this point, another view on the screen comes into play apart from the chat window. "Everything that the AI takes over from the chat and then writes into the inverter is displayed 1:1 in this visualization. The AI does not pass anything else on to the inverter that is not explicitly visible on the software interface," declares Leon Kontny. Users can choose a setting that every write process to the inverter must be approved beforehand, but they can also dispense with that form of protection. Another major advantage of the Startup Agent is that you can see in real time what is happening in the inverter, or you can trace back previous settings via a history.

For Leon Kontny and his team, all that they have achieved so far is just a start. They still have plenty of ideas for the future of their Startup Agent. For instance, one idea is that the settings displayed on the software interface can be adjusted subsequently not only with but also without the AI. That means that users can then use the AI to build their own software interface and so to design a layout for their inverter. "People who frequently start up cranes, for example, can use this layout over and over again or pass this layout on to others," says Jonas Dunker, describing the team's considerations. And Leon Kontny sums it up in a nutshell: "We are confident that we can make the rather complex world of such applications so simple that anyone with a certain technical understanding will be able to perform a startup quickly, easily, and safely."

Users only see what they need right now – no more and no less

"Until now, it has been the case that all customers have been provided with a large and comprehensive software that contains everything that users need," adds Jonas Dunker and points out that such standard and comprehensive industrial software often requires appropriate training for employees. In addition, such systems are often visually overloaded and confusing for the users. With their Startup Agent, the developers made sure that the complex software structure works in the background and that users only see what they need at that moment on the software interface.

"At the moment, we are deliberately referring only to applications with a gearmotor, and not to complex systems with multiple motors and complex PLC control. Larger and relatively complex systems like that should still be put into operation by technical experts, because they generally also want to have expert software," explains Leon Kontny. "However, SEW-EURODRIVE has many customers who use simple applications and want to have suitably simple software."

About SEW-EURODRIVE

Ever since it was founded in 1931, the family business SEW EURODRIVE GmbH & Co KG has been headquartered in Bruchsal, near Karlsruhe, in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany. Today, SEW EURODRIVE is one of the world's leading specialists in drive and automation technology, with around 22 700 employees, 18 production plants, and 92 assembly plants in 57 countries. As one of the leading companies in its field, SEW EURODRIVE keeps applications, processes, systems, and machinery moving in countless sectors – from airport logistics to industrial processes. With around 850 research and development staff, it is making an innovative contribution to shaping the future of drive technology. Proximity to customers is one of SEW EURODRIVE's top priorities. An extensive sales and service network provides professional advice on site and ensures the rapid availability of spare parts and repairs – anywhere in the world. Alongside its headquarters and production facilities in Bruchsal and its plant in Graben-Neudorf, the company operates 30 other sites across Germany.

About SEW-EURODRIVE in the partner country Brazil

When SEW EURODRIVE opened its first branch on the South American continent back in 1978 – over 48 years ago – in Brazil, many European beverage manufacturers who were SEW EURODRIVE customers also built new production plants overseas. The global manufacturer of drive technology components and customized automation solutions has now become a permanent fixture in this multicultural country. Key sectors in Brazil that use SEW EURODRIVE technologies include the sugar and ethanol industry, mining, and the automotive industry. Today, SEW EURODRIVE BRASIL, which has its national headquarters and a production plant in Indaiatuba (in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo), employs over 1600 staff at 18 locations, including two assembly plants in Rio Claro and Joinville. That makes Brazil the third-largest foreign subsidiary of the Bruchsal-based family company after China and France.