An interdisciplinary laboratory for teaching manufacturing and artificial intelligence

Summary form only given. Global competition has played a major role in the awakening of American industry to the need to improve the understanding and control of their manufacturing processes. The manufacturing arena has traditionally been the domain of engineers. However, many manufacturing problems are ill-defined with solutions that are not adequate for today's manufacturing environment. One promising approach for developing new solutions to these problems, that comes from the discipline of computer science, is artificial intelligence (AI). Research concerning the application of AI concepts to problems in manufacturing systems resulted in the formation of the Artificial Intelligence and Manufacturing (AIM) project at Oakland University. The National Science Foundation, Carnegie Group Inc., Fanuc Robotics Inc. and Siemans Energy and Automation Inc. have provided funding and equipment for the AIM Laboratory. The AIM laboratory provides learning facilities for students to study manufacturing as well as AI concepts individually. In addition, the AIM laboratory allows students to integrate such knowledge and methodologies in order to improve manufacturing processes through the use of AI techniques.