Day 4: Germany International study trip

Eight meetings are done, four more to go.
Today’s schedule for the AFM 415 International Study Trip: BMW and IBM Watson.

BMW’s iconic cylindrical skyscraper was instantly recognizable as we made our way to our first meeting of the day. BMW’s headquarters was literally a campus, which housed the corporate offices, factories, museum, and BMW Welt. Johannas, a Master of Engineering student and “BMW genius” was our tour guide at the BMW museum. Johannas explained how materials (steel, magnesium, and carbon) are used in car production and shared insights on the future prospects, ethical dilemmas, and limitations of autonomous vehicles. Another interesting aspect about BMW that Johannas shared with us was that customers outside of Europe can pick-up their new BMW directly from the BMW headquarters. A temporary license and insurance are provided to the customer, allowing them to drive their new vehicle in Europe. After the museum, we had a very enjoyable lunch at BMW M1 café, which I may add, had excellent lasagna.

Our second meeting was with IBM Watson IoT. IoT – internet of things – is the ability to integrate connected devices via the internet, to allow steaming of massive amounts of data. As a demonstration of IoT, IBM showed us their own building management system which uses thousands of sensors to measure CO2 emissions to detect if the blinds are closed. IBM then presented a case of an elevator manufacturer to which IBM implemented a “black box” system to track elevator activities and use AI algorithms to better predict the elevator’s maintenance schedule to send mechanics for inspection more efficiently. using AI.

Personally, the biggest take away from today’s meetings was the role of AI and other advanced technology – not in replacing the workforce, but rather helping us to make better informed and sophisticated decisions.

Learn more about SAF International Study Trip