ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - THE ACHILLES HEEL OF ROBOTICS AND MANUFACTURING.

Surveying the state of manufacturing technology, of which robotics is only a part, albeit an important part, an automation expert cannot help noticing gaps that represent weak links in the manufacturing chain. CIM (computer integrated manufacturing), while a much heralded technolgy, represents a goal to be attained rather than a reality; integration is precisely what is lacking. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the principal technology resource for resolving these bottlenecks. This writer's contention is that it is not sufficient for AI to be integrated into isolated systems such as robots, but that intelligence must be distributed at strategic points through the manufacturing system.