Project 03
Co-creation of
AI prediction solutions
Together with customers,
to challenge creation of new value
The three project members spoke what was background of the development and what was creation of new value challeging together with customers.
Project Member
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T.H.
Joined in 2013 / Digital Innovation Department
After joining mid-career in 2013, engaged in the development of web systems and Android applications incorporating AI. Promoted to manager in May 2021.
In this project, I am in charge of the project manager who manages the overall progress. -
H.M.
Joined in 2004 / Digital Innovation Department
After joining the company as a new graduate, he mainly engaged in system development that supports tire production, such as tire visual inspection system development and tire production technology visualization system development. In this project, he is in charge of the project leader who promotes on-site design and development.
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M.Y.
Joined in 2020 / Digital Innovation Department
I joined the company as a new graduate in 2020, feeling that I could do a valuable job by combining the IT I learned at university with tires, which can be said to be the legs of mobility that supports society. Engaged in the development of web dashboard screens in this project.
Aiming contribution to the aviation industry with Bridgestone's unique technology
Aircraft tires are used under severe conditions such as repeated takeoffs and landings while supporting the speed and weight of the aircraft, and typically need to be replaced with new tires after hundreds of takeoffs and landings. Furthermore, since the speed at which tire wear progresses varies depending on the environment in which it is used, it has been common for tires to be replaced suddenly or at different timings. For this reason, JAL is focusing on how to reduce inventories while maintaining sufficient inventory levels, and how to switch to planning work to effectively utilize limited time and resources for maintenance. raised as a business issue. Therefore, JAL and Bridgestone have launched a development project for a highly accurate "tire wear prediction model" that incorporates AI-based machine learning.
"By combining JAL's knowledge of aircraft maintenance with Bridgestone's proprietary tire wear prediction technology, we have developed a solution that predicts the appropriate time to replace tires. We are working with our parent company, Bridgestone, to develop this system and establish a system for sustainable operation." We made progress,” said project manager T.H.
Challenge unexplored areas in cooperation with partner companies
There are many groping scenes, just because no one has yet worked in this area. Since this was the first initiative, we built a team system that invited not only our company but also partner companies that are strong in each specialized field to proceed with development.
H.M., who led the development site as a project leader, has a lot of experience, but this time he had a lot of worries. "First, we cooperated with partner companies to advance development, but in the end, we also aimed to shift to building a system that allows us to develop and operate independently. While developing, we also absorb technical skills at the same time. It was a necessary and difficult challenge.”
M.Y., a project member, also said that he struggled when gradually shifting development to in-house development. “It took me a long time to understand and learn every piece of code in the program and the context in which it was written.”
Tenacity to bring the project to fruition
The biggest climax came at the end of the project. T.H. explained. “It is necessary to adjust the input data and analysis system for each aircraft model. After completing the system construction for the model that we had been working on, various issues arose when we moved to a different model. As we took over the development, we faced a crisis due to the fact that there were still parts that we did not fully understand."
H.M. says that all members stood together in this crisis. “T.H. once again strengthened the cooperative system between our partner companies and our company. I was encouraged by the growth of member M.Y. He helped me understand the system and led the development."
M.Y. proceeded with the development of the web screen that he was in charge of, taking into consideration the usability of the user. "How to show the data on the screen to the people who actually use it on JAL. I was keenly aware of the importance of visualization. If the display is too small, it will be difficult to see. We also considered what other elements should be prioritized and placed in an easy-to-see position, aiming for an operational feel that the user can handle without hesitation.”
Dealing with customers and taking on the challenge of further improvement and expansion
After overcoming the crisis, the aircraft tire friction prediction solution was successfully launched. After that, M.Y., who was given a tour of JAL's maintenance shop where the solution was actually used, said he was overwhelmed with emotion. “We saw our customers use the solutions we provided in their operations, and they even said that they are now indispensable for their planned maintenance implementation. I was able to have it, and I got the motivation to make it even better in the future.”
We asked T.H. about future prospects. “In the future, we plan to expand the range of compatible models and further expand and develop them. By expanding the range of compatible models, we will be able to reduce the inventory of aircraft wheels and tires and improve the efficiency of aircraft maintenance work. This will lead to the reduction of CO2 emissions throughout the value chain of wheels and tires for automobiles, etc. We will continue to take responsibility for development and operation so that we can sustainably contribute to both customer value and social value. I would like to continue
The solution business, which aims to co-create with customers and contribute to the region and the world, has just started. The real challenge is now.
