Computer vision has become one of AI's most promising applications, combining ever-improving cameras with faster and smarter automated object recognition. During today's Transform 2020 digital conference, Intel VP Brian McCarson spoke with VentureBeat CEO Matt Marshall about computer vision's role in the growing industrial internet of things (IIoT) market. The conversation highlighted a particularly compelling emergent use case: hugely improved product defect detection that promises to improve the reliability of everything from computer screens to cars. Manufacturers seeking to eliminate product defects haven't historically lacked staff or defect screening expertise, McCarson said -- they have been held back by limitations of the human eye. In modern consumer products, defects can be microscopic or near-microscopic, such as bad screen pixels or surface issues in aluminum car transmission components.

According to several studies by Intel spanning 2018, 2019, and 2020, AI and edge computing make it possible to positively identify up to 99% of visible manufacturing defects before a product ever leaves the line. "One of the most important things manufacturers care about is product quality," says Brian McCarson, Vice President and Senior Principal Engineer, Internet of Things Group (IOTG) at Intel Corporation and a featured speaker at Transform, VentureBeat's upcoming digital conference. "Manufactures prefer throwing away fewer defective products. They strive to have less rework and fewer customer returns. They also want to reduce the cost of their operations by making their tools and processes more efficient, and improve the reliability of their machines so they can proactively do maintenance before it is too late and have more predictable uptime."