August 26, 2024 How Manufacturers Can Supercharge Legacy Products

The continuing convergence of IoT with machine learning and Cloud computing is transforming what’s possible with many legacy products.

By Mariusz Stolarski, Global Head of Technology at Mobica, a Cognizant company 

Maximizing the potential of emerging technology is a key focus for many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as they look at ways to optimize their existing products. According to data from PwC, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are currently the top two technologies being prioritized by business executives.

It’s not surprising that this is the case. The coming together of AI and machine learning (ML) with IoT and Cloud computing is helping US manufacturers to achieve a previously elusive business goal: the ability to increase product potential without significant design changes or major investment. Here’s how.

The potential of emerging technologies

The emergence, and convergence, of these technologies has created numerous possibilities. For example, if you add a camera or sensor to a product, you can supercharge its potential by connecting AI and cloud services. This could enable anomaly detection and predictive maintenance solutions in industrial settings or optimize production processes in manufacturing environments.    

Remote connectivity can also allow products in the field to be upgraded, via over-the-air (OTA) updates. This connectivity enables OEMs to draw on significant computing power and accommodate the use of computer vision or large language models (LLMs). This could allow manufacturers to introduce advanced human machine interfaces, such as contactless gesture controls and voice commands.

The business case for exploring these technologies is also clear. OEMs can create new revenue streams by offering additional features and services delivered through OTA upgrades. This can also cut costs, and expand product lifespans, by administering upgrades and fixes remotely – reducing the risk of expensive product recalls in the process. In addition to boosting income, this can greatly enhance customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty.

As consumer expectations become more demanding, OEMs need to seize the opportunity to steal a competitive advantage. This is likely to lead to some interesting developments as OEMs look to get creative and add increasingly intuitive functionality to their existing products.

Turning theory into action

While the promise of utilizing these technologies sounds great in theory, manufacturers will be asking themselves how easy it is in practice. Is it really so simple to add camera detection, voice command technology, or gesture-based UI to existing products? The answer is that it depends on how ambitious OEMs want to be and what they want to achieve.

Imagine an oven manufacturer wants to empower its users to see how a cake bake is progressing remotely. To do this they would need to add a robust, heat-resistant camera. This would need to be connected by Wi-Fi and supported by a companion app so users can log in to monitor how the bake is going and to make any adjustments. All this is possible with minimal complexity.

However, the manufacturer may also want to take it to the next level and add automation –  so the camera can detect what’s baking, and regulate the temperature, fan and timings accordingly. This level of sophistication would require additional technologies, such as Computer Vision and ML, along with significantly more computing power.

Where the limited computing power on the devices themselves would restrict this functionality, the ability to access Cloud services makes this possible by allowing manufacturers to offload complex tasks.

Whatever the application, if manufacturers are handling data processing in the cloud, robust connectivity will be required. In the case of the oven example, a Wi-Fi solution should be able to manage this. But manufacturers need to be mindful that when any data is being transferred over the air, encryption and data security will be key.

Where do OEMs go from here?

With AI and the Internet of Things being viewed as two key investment priorities by US decision-makers, product designers and CTOs have a great opportunity to reimagine what’s possible with their existing product set. 

Could they add applications such as voice-commands, for example, which have become popular due to the growing prevalence of digital assistants like Alexa and Siri? Could they install a semiconductor with more power than is initially needed so they can allow sophisticated new features to be switched on when devices are out in the field? And, can they also add abstraction layers to their entire product range, so any new innovations can then be copied over to all their other devices too?

While much can be achieved without significant design alterations, it’s worth noting that the greater the complexity, the higher the production costs will likely be. So, while OEMs should explore how emerging technologies can enhance existing products, they also need to establish the business case from the outset. Any solution must be economically and practically applicable and manufacturers need to have a clear understanding of what the impact will be on the corresponding tech stack.

It’s always recommended, therefore, that OEMs start with a feasibility study and that a minimal viable product (MVP) is developed to demonstrate proof of concept. This will expose the complexities involved. While additional investment may be required, it should not be allowed to stifle creative thinking, as the result may well make it economically viable.

Adding voice controls could open your products up to a broader customer base – one that was previously impeded by accessibility issues, for example. While providing access to additional information, pulled from Cloud services, could provide insights that allow users to utilize the product more effectively.

There’s no reason why manufacturers can’t think big and investigate what’s possible. The convergence of IoT, AI/ ML and the Cloud has opened the door to new opportunities, which can only be limited by the imagination. It’s exciting to think about the creative solutions we will see in the coming years, as businesses take advantage of these emerging technologies and apply them to their products.

For more information, please read Mobica’s latest guide, Seven simple solutions that are supercharging manufacturers’ products, which can be found at Mobica.com.

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