[IMC 2021] Unsolved Problems / Future Direction Intellignent Opreation and Maintenance 

by Dr. Patrick Bangert, Dr.Daniel Nikovski and Dr. Olga Fink
Several developments in sensing, data capturing/transmission/storage, virtual reality solutions, robotics and AI algorithms have enabled several industries to implement predictive maintenance and automated inspection solutions. Several developments are on the way and prototypes are moving to operational products. Such solutions have been developed by operators, manufacturers, service providers, and other involved stakeholders at different system integration levels. Many startups have been evolving in this promising field targeting different application fields and with diverse business models. Research has been closing the gap and improving the performance, transferability and generalization ability of the algorithms but also pushing the boundaries in sensing, communication and robotics. However, industrial stakeholders are still facing several problems with the commercialization and industrialization of the applications and several research gaps remain unsolved. The goal of the panel discussion is to elaborate those challenges and discuss potential solutions but also to discuss the future promising directions in the field of intelligent operation and maintenance from the perspective of the panelists with their diverse backgrounds and experience.