Announcing Future Automation Embodied by the Evolution of “innovative-Automation,” OMRON’s Manufacturing Innovation Concept
– Realizing “Autonomation Beyond Human Abilities” and “Advanced Collaboration Between People and Machines” by Accelerating DX at Manufacturing Sites –

• January 12, 2022

OMRON Corporation (HQ: Shimogyo-Ku, Kyoto. President and CEO: Yoshihito Yamada) announced today the future shape of "innovative-Automation," OMRON’s manufacturing innovation concept, as the direction of manufacturing evolution to look for the next decade in light of the diversified and complicated changes in the market environment and based on the past achievement of three “i’s” of automation. OMRON aims for on-site innovation by embodying three goals of renewed automation concept: “Autonomation beyond human abilities,” “Advanced collaboration between people and machines,” and “Digital engineering transformation.”

Currently, manufacturers around the world are challenging to renew and evolve manufacturing toward the post-COVID world. In addition to responding to technological innovations and changes in products and manufacturing methods, manufacturers’ emphasis is placed on the sophistication of manufacturing that takes into consideration of the global environment represented by the SDGs, the diversification of people's values, and the wellbeing of working people. Since 2016, OMRON has solved the manufacturing issues of many customers through realizing its unique manufacturing innovation concept of innovative-Automation. In the future shape of innovative-Automation announced this time, OMRON will work together with the customers to solve the issues of the manufacturing industry, which are becoming more diversified and complicated, with unique automation that realizes coexistence with the global environment and wellbeing of working people.

<Three forms of the future manufacturing>
1. “Autonomation beyond human abilities,” Let the machine do what the machine can do
While manufacturers are faced with the difficulty of securing human resources, they are also under pressure to continuously improve production efficiency in order to fulfill their supply responsibilities and maintain and strengthen their competitiveness. In the concept of the "Autonomation beyond human abilities", based on high-speed and high-precision control application technology, OMRON aims to innovate manufacturing sites where people can engage in creative work with feeling at ease by making full use of IoT, AI and robotics technology, and leaving the work that depended on people to the machine. In addition, by the automation that balances productivity and energy efficiency, OMRON will contribute to establish new manufacturing that meets the rapidly changing product needs while considering the global environment.

2. "Advanced collaboration between people and machines" that allows people to maximize their potential
Human dexterity and creativity are indispensable for manufacturing that responds to the diversification and personalization of product needs, and it is necessary for the evolution of manufacturing to maximize human abilities. OMRON aims to develop new manufacturing that allows people to maximize their potential and experience growth and motivation by making people as a leading role while advancing the substitution from people to machines. Leaving the heavy labor and simple repetitive work to robots, machines support human proficiency, and in the event of a sudden trouble, people and robots cover each other. OMRON aims to realize a manufacturing site where workers can enjoy their work and enjoy manufacturing, and at the same time achieve high productivity by embodying the concept of the “Advanced collaboration between people and machines”.

3. Manufacturing site innovation by “Digital engineering transformation”
At OMRON, simulations and remote monitoring using virtual technology played a major role in the development of our products and the maintenance of our manufacturing sites in terms of movement restrictions and access restrictions faced by the COVID-19 pandemic. OMRON believes that such on-site innovation by DX is indispensable for the sophistication of manufacturing even in the post-COVID world and will strengthen the development of technologies and solutions that accelerate the conversion of manufacturing sites to DX.

About innovative-Automation
Recently, OMRON has developed a manufacturing innovation concept, called "innovative-Automation" With this concept, OMRON is currently committed to bringing innovation to manufacturing sites through three key innovations, or three "i's." Through these innovations in the area of automation, OMRON aims to enable significant productivity improvements in manufacturing sites in order to achieve high-value-added manufacturing. With the first "i," "integrated" (control evolution), OMRON will seek to advance automated control technology so that virtually any operator, even inexperienced operators, can effortlessly perform work that previously required the expert skills of experienced workers. With the second "i," "intelligent" (development of intelligence by ICT), OMRON seeks to create constantly evolving equipment and production lines. By adopting a wide range of control devices and artificial intelligence (AI), machines can learn through experience and maintain themselves in optimal condition. For the third "i," "interactive" (new harmonization between people and machines), OMRON pursues the development of a new harmonious relationship between human operators and machines; as they work together in the same workspace, machines will be able to assist human operators by recognizing human thoughts and behavior in a way that only OMRON, a specialist control equipment manufacturer who knows production floors inside and out, can realize.

About OMRON Corporation
OMRON Corporation is a global leader in the field of automation based on its core technology of "Sensing & Control + Think". OMRON's business fields cover a broad spectrum, ranging from industrial automation and electronic components to social systems, healthcare, and environmental solutions. Established in 1933, OMRON has about 30,000 employees worldwide, working to provide products and services in around 120 countries and regions. For more information, visit OMRON's website: https://www.omron.com/global/en/