OMRON : Spanning the Gap between Man and Machine

Image sensing technology is a shining star in the chip industry as technology companies across the world accelerate towards greater innovation. Even in the fight against COVID-19, the devices are behind advances in areas of electronics ranging from thermal imaging and faster point-of-care testing to microfluidics-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tools and techniques to detect SARS-CoV-2. OMRON, a pioneer in developing sensor technology, has engineered various devices that have helped substantially in the fight against COVID. The company has also been instrumental in streamlining the operations of clients in various other industries as well.

The OMRON Group is making various efforts to solve the social issues caused by the global spread of COVID-19, with putting a high priority on ensuring the safety of all stakeholders including customers, business partners, our employees and their families, and preventing the spread of infection. OMRON robots are working around the world to prevent infection during disinfection processes, alleviate the burden on workers, and protect everyone’s health and safety. Helping healthcare workers sanitize their workstations safely are UV-equipped mobile robots that automate the processes of sanitization and disinfection with robotic technology. OMRON has supported partner companies across the world to develop these robots, which are OMRON LD Series autonomous mobile robots fitted with UVC lamps. Additionally, OMRON has partnered with a manufacturer of sterilization machines to use its mobile robots to automate the process of transporting trays containing medical equipment that has been used within the hospital to sterilization machines.

Although the company plays a major role in assisting the healthcare industry, OMRON drives operational automation in many other arenas too. ‘Sensing & Control + Think’ is OMRON’s core technology that underlies all of its businesses. Over the years, OMRON has continuously developed its unique core sensor technologies to create value in each era as a pioneer. The company’s technology first senses and collects the necessary data of humans or things based on thorough observation of Gemba, such as the production floor and daily occurrences. After this, ‘Control’ provides appropriate solutions to the production floor based on the information obtained through sensors. And, in 2011, OMRON added a new category, “ + Think”: human intelligence in “Sensing & Control”, and as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and other technical innovations are evolving, human intelligence is essential for converting information into value more intelligently. These technologies for retrieving necessary information from end users (Sensing), adding human intelligence to machines to analyze accumulated data (Think), and offering solutions (Control) are instrumental to each business.

OMRON has also developed FORPHEUS—a state-of-the-art technology that embodies the world of “harmony” where machines can bring out human ability. The company aims to make machines become a more integral part of society such that humans can enjoy machine support in a number of new and different ways that extend the potential of human capabilities. The table tennis robot FORPHEUS leverages the company’s core technology of “Sensing & Control + Think.” OMRON perceives that the harmony between humans and machines should enable mutual growth. The new FORPHEUS includes technology that enables people to inspire the growth of the machine. OMRON invited a large group of table tennis players, including both advanced players and beginners, to OMRON’s Keihanna Technology Innovation Center. Each played a rally with FORPHEUS for three minutes, from which the machines gathered various types of data. As a result, OMRON accumulated rally data from more than 100 people and incorporated that data into the deep learning model.

FORPHEUS was not created merely for playing table tennis. It shows the way to reach a future in which machines can bring out the full potential and maximum performance of people. The relationship between people and machines will change dramatically in the upcoming ten years or so. It is OMRON’s hope that FORPHEUS will provide clues for contemplating the human-machine relationship that awaits us in the future.