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【2021 Application Example】 HRT Technology Improves Production Efficiency by 20% Through AOI Detection of Defects in VCSEL Packaging

In 2017, the launch of the iPhone X made 3D sensor technology used in Face ID highly popular, which drove the development of VCSEL, a core component in the 3D sensor module. In the detection of defects in incoming packaged VCSEL, the use of AI inference models can solve the industry's issue with low yield and improve reliability to 95%.

VCSEL technology currently can be used in many applications and various end consumer markets, including robots, mobile devices, surveillance, drones, and AR/VR. VCSELs are a good solution in applications that require high-speed modulation capabilities, such as cameras and biometrics.

VCSEL technology has broad applications, including in drones. (Pictured: Zoyi Technology's Agricultural Drone)

▲VCSEL technology has a wide range of  applications, including in drones. (Pictured: Zoyi Technology's Agricultural Drone)

VCSEL technology has a wide range of applications, AI technology assists in defect detection

HRT Technology stated that the packaged VCSEL market is also facing strong price competition from competitors, and needs to further reduce costs and enhance product competitiveness. One of the key problems is the replacement of glass lens with epoxy resin lens. The production of traditional glass lenses has high yield, but the cost is higher than that of epoxy resin lenses. Due to the cutting process of epoxy resin, the side wall of cutting lines can easily have rough edges, causing it to be oversized. The release of stress caused by heat during the mounting process will directly cause the optical lens to break.

HRT Technology pointed out that the incoming inspection of VCSEL epoxy resin lenses is very important. Under the constraints of packaging space, the space for fitting the package and optical lens is limited. Moreover, the optical lenses will be confined to a metal frame. If the dimensional tolerances are properly controlled, stress release due to heat during mounting can easily cause the optical lens to break, resulting in a yield loss of up to 10% in the VCSEL package reliability verification, resulting in an increase in production costs.

In order to solve the problems above, HRT Technology hopes to use AI to monitor the size and appearance defects of epoxy resin components in the VCSEL epoxy resin lens incoming stage, verifying whether their dimensions meet specifications, whether the cutting edges are smooth, and whether there are any defects in their appearance. Since traditional incoming material inspection requires a rough visual inspection by humans to distinguish the quality. The problem of image collection needs to be solved first to successfully collect image data.

Therefore, HRT Technology first developed an Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) device, which includes X, Y, Z three-axis motion, high-resolution cameras, and related control software to automatically record images. After collecting the image data, opencv aligns the test image and a normal image to determine differences between the two images, and then pixel mapping is used to compare the pixel area to complete initial screening. Manual labeling is carried out according to the image classification above, including: samples that are normal, have defects in appearance, or have different shape characteristics, and then algorithm training and verification is carried out. Residual neural network (ResNet) or other related algorithms are used for deep learning to identify the quality of lenses.

Implementation of AOI inspection improves production efficiency by 20% and above

Comparing the differences before and after the implementation of AI image inspection, the incoming VCSEL lens inspection before implementation only involved manual inspection of the appearance. The lens is packaged on the VCSEL package that has completed die bonding. After passing the general light up test, the final reliability test (high temperature reflow) is performed. Failed samples go into the rework process.

However, after the implementation of AOI inspection, it can screen defective lenses sooner and reduce the cost of subsequent materials input, it can also reduce the need for rework due to failure, improving yield to 95% and above in the reliability verification. This is expected to help companies reduce production costs by 10% and increase production efficiency by 20% and above.

The difference before and after the introduction of AI image inspection.

▲ The difference before and after implementing AI image detection

HRT Technology pointed out that this technology is an AI application developed based on tiny images. It uses deep learning algorithms to identify defects in the images. The trained network automatically classifies image data to predetermined categories. Defect categories can be determined through reference images, so cumbersome programming is not required.

In the industrial machine vision environment, deep learning is mainly used for classification tasks in applications, such as inspection of industrial products or identification of parts. In the future, with the development of IoT wearable devices and the trend of energy saving, the size of optoelectronic components will continue to shrink. This technology can be applied to the detection of defects in the appearance of other tiny optoelectronic components in the future.

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Transforming into a Large-Scale AIoT Technology Playground: The Spectacular Makeover of the National Museum of Marine Science & Technology

Taiwan is a maritime nation When you visit the Badozi Fishing Port or Tidal Park in Keelung, do you also explore the mysteries of the ocean world at the 48-hectare National Museum of Marine Science amp Technology To get more people closer to marine technology, Keelung's Marine Museum has introduced technological services, transforming the venue into a large technology playground that delights both children and adults, fully utilizing the 'learning through play' approach After a lengthy planning process, Northern Taiwan's largest marine science museum in Keelung opened in January 2014 The museum focuses on marine education and technology, boasting Taiwan's largest IMAX 3D ocean theater The unique themes and modern viewing facilities should make it a well-known landmark in Keelung However, the original exhibition planning was static and highly specialized, lacking sufficient interaction with the public Visitors who have attended the museum also reported that the exhibits were limited and quite boring, leading to poor overall consumer experience ratings The top three dissatisfactions with the museum were weak connections to surrounding attractions, unengaging display content, and lack of exhibit material According to statistics from the Marine Museum, the ratio of local to visiting guests is approximately 64, with most foreign visitors coming from the north transportation is primarily by car and bus common types of visits include family, parent-child, and friends and the stay duration is generally 1 to 2 hours Upon deeper investigation, the top three visitor complaints were weak linkages to surrounding attractions, unengaging display content, and insufficient number of exhibits The museum analyzed potential reasons, including some displays being too specialized, making it difficult for the public to understand, and a lack of interactive elements, making the exhibition boring and the visit hurriedly brief Analysis of visitor profiles revealed that since half of the museum's visitors are locals, and accessing the museum is not so easy for out-of-towners who must travel by car or public transport, the design of the venue and exhibitions must incorporate more interactivity and intrigue to encourage locals to return and extend the duration of visitors' stays while using technological services to highlight the museum's unique features Through a recommendation from the Information Software Association, part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Industrial Bureau AI team, the Marine Museum commissioned Jugu Technology to resolve the issue of uninspiring venue attractions Preliminary interviews by Jugu Technology revealed that many visitors were attracted by the architectural design of the museum, notices posted on nearby walls, flags, or events being held the most interesting feature for visitors was the 3D ocean theater, indicating that content presented through audio-video and physical scenic methods was more engaging Seven major AI technologies lead to a boost in regional tourism at the Marine Museum Through the introduction of technology services, Jugu Technology designed the 48-hectare site with seven major services AI voice tours, treasure hunt puzzle games, AI exhibit interactive revitalization, AI space exhibition interactive experience, AI crowd control, Face AI interactive experience, and AI voice customer service system By utilizing AIoT and cloud technology, they made the exhibition more interesting, not only solving the issue of boring static viewings for children but also doubling the learning efficiency and dramatically improving public perception of the Marine Museum, thus increasing visitor intent and boosting regional tourism The National Museum of Marine Science and Technology introduced seven major technological application services including AI voice guide Jugu Technology aimed to improve the space optimization of the Marine Museum, using the special exhibition of coastal birds in northern Taiwan as a prototype, integrating 'face', 'limb', 'crowd' as three main axes to enhance functionality and assist in improving the museum's application of AI Practically, the Marine Museum and Jugu Technology selected the on-site special exhibits to avoid any installation of water and electricity works or pipelines in active exhibits, thereby maintaining the quality of the viewing experience Instead, they selected exhibits that were not yet open to introduce a series of technological services tailored to the unique characteristics of the exhibits In the coastal bird special exhibition inside the Marine Museum, initial construction discussions with the curators utilized Bella X1 for a welcoming interactive introduction at the exhibition entrance This was followed by an AI-powered smart guide in both Chinese and English using X1 for narration, coupled with a fun treasure hunting stamp-collecting activity - APP X1, allowing visitors to participate in challenges Subsequently, bird species within the bird exhibition were brought to life interactively using X1, and AR scenarios X1 were introduced into the exhibition space to add elements of fun and entertainment Finally, Face AI was used to interactively test facial expressions and score smiles The gorgeously transformed Marine Museum will become the best travel destination for families with children ImageMarine Museum FB Page The AIoT services introduced by the Marine Museum could be extended to various exhibition-type museums and even static art galleries in the future, tailored to the unique characteristics of different venues They could also be promoted through government projects and related plans, aiding in rural revitalization, making visits more than just sightseeing in rural areas, and breaking free from stereotypes associated with different venues The applications of these services are broad「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-05-19」

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AI Assists the Red Cross for Smarter Emergency Response

More Preparation Less Loss The Taiwan Food Bank Association, a non-profit organization, collects donations daily from wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, and even kind-hearted individuals across Taiwan They also rescue consumable materials that are about to be discarded, properly allocate and deliver to households in need, aiding local underprivileged populations When natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, typhoons, floods, and droughts occur in Taiwan, the food bank's resources can be immediately deployed for disaster relief This field verification unit is the Nantou County Red Cross AssociationOne of the food bank locations, hereinafter referred to as the Nantou Red CrossIs responsible for tasks like pre-disaster supplies preparation and disaster relief material distribution, helping the government bear the responsibility of disaster relief and aid In Taiwan, various natural disasters have characteristics of different duration and spatial coverage, wide or narrow With the normalization of extreme weather, the scale and number of disasters are gradually increasing and becoming harder to predict The required amount and type of materials differ by disaster, and they must address the lifestyles of the affected areas, rescue needs, traffic conditions, geographical restrictions, and other factors for varied material allocation, facing numerous challenges Typhoon Kanu severely damaged transportation in Nantou mountain areas Nantou County Red Cross planned the mountainous route Puli gt Fazhi Elementary School gt Qin'ai Village gt Aowanda to deliver supplies Disasters happen repeatedly We need to be prepared at all times Effective disaster preparedness can mitigate the impact, including swift response to material needs in affected areas, aid distribution, and even psychological support, providing added security for life and property of those in disaster zones Lack of Timeliness in Disaster Information To improve the living conditions and address the lack of supplies in remote areas, the Taiwan Food Bank Association has partnered with the Nantou Red Cross and has successively established food bank points in Nantou City, Puli, and Ren'aiLixing, Ruiyan, XinyiWangmei, Tongfu, Shuili, Lugu and Caotun among others9establish food bank locations, providing supplies worth a certain amount per household every month6001000in New Taiwan Dollars However, many challenges still need to be overcome during natural disasters For example, when typhoons, earthquakes, and landslides occur, the information source for disaster relief dispatch systems relies on post-disaster reports The time lag between reporting, response, and execution prevents timely adjustment and distribution of 'disaster relief' supplies based on the needs of affected areas, affecting rescue efficiency due to lack of timely information The 'preparedness' supplies of the Nantou Red Crosssuch as dry food, water, instant noodles, etc,are recorded manually in terms of stock, expiration dates, and distribution,When a disaster occurs, there is a chance that 'preparedness' supplies have expired and cannot become 'disaster relief' supplies It’s also possible that both conditions mentioned above occur simultaneously, leading to a need for more time to reassign 'preparedness' supplies into usable 'disaster relief' materials On the other hand, upon receiving information about shortages in disaster areas, the supplies donated by the public often grossly differ from the actual needs of the disaster zone, leading to an excess of supplies The Process of Material Operations Before and After a Natural Disaster AIAnticipating Natural Disasters Reinforcing the Accuracy of Preparedness Material Dispatch Application API Technology connects to compute the state of the climate, the intensity of disaster rescues, prioritizing the main tasks of the Nantou Red Cross and the needed areas of search and rescue Coordinated with the existing heavy rain and typhoon simulation disaster training of the Nantou Red Cross, a 'Natural Disaster Emergency Preparedness Material Dispatch and Supplement Decision System' is establishedreferred to as the Emergency Preparedness Material System。 In material management, inventory data along with immediate supply data are entered into the Emergency Preparedness Material System for comparison and analysis, helping the Nantou Red Cross quickly recognize materials like cookiesdry food, beverages, frozen food, toilet paper, etc, and determining whether they should be 'preparedness' materials or regularly distributed materials Adding to this, information forecasting understands the potential disaster conditions in remote areas, facilitating food delivery, addressing both front-end food wastage and backend practical needs When a natural disaster occurs, it enables faster response and decision-making, completing material deployment, hence increasing the speed of material operation transition20。 AI Emergency Preparedness Material System Helps Rapidly Adapt Material Distribution Through the field verification of the Nantou Red CrossAIthe system, material management, and related applications are promoted to more emergency response organizations in different areas, while continuously improving the alert functions within the Emergency Preparedness Material System, strengthening the technological foundation for alerts, enhancing prediction accuracySystem immediacy, and optimizing the data collection and analysis process Simultaneously, it can collaborate with government agencies, meteorological departments, or other rescue teams to discuss integrating more data sources, establishing a mechanism to share resources and data promptly, sharing information in real-time, helping more emergency response organizations enhance their disaster response abilities, seizing the golden rescue time 「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-12-12」

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Realizing the dream of unmanned stores, Magpie Life is building the future of the smartphone industry

"The DNA of Magpie Life is not limited to vending machines We believe that vending machines combine technology, access, and humanities to bring us exciting results" This is a sentence on the official website of Magpie Life Let the vending machines bring To live a pleasant life and build a considerate, technological and sustainable future for the smartphone industry is also the original intention of Magpie Life Founded in 2018, Magpie Life launched Taiwan’s first private-brand mobile payment scan code sensor 4 months after its establishment, completing the consumption experience through screen touch The Magpie U1 smart vending machine manages the POS system and gathers data in the background, allowing consumers to synchronize with the world's new retail pace and experience a new retail consumption experience of purchasing convenience, checkout security, visual entertainment, and improved logistics replenishment efficiency Traditional vending machines lack information visibility and AI technology assists in information transparencyThis time, the Magpie smart vending machine is also equipped with AI technology to provide adjustable shelf space , a vending machine equipped with an industrial computer and a large-size touch display screen to achieve the purpose of a store-less store Magpie Life stated that the biggest problem with traditional vending machines is the lack of information visibility To check inventory, replenishment personnel must physically inspect each machine, which is time-consuming and costly When a machine breaks down, it will generally be unable to operate for a long time Most failures go unreported and are not discovered until the next restocking crew arrives to replenish supplies Then you have to wait for a service technician to be scheduled, which can take weeks Traditional vending machines lack real-time interactivity When consumers encounter problems after inserting coins, manufacturers cannot handle them immediately In addition, traditional vending machines are less flexible and cannot adapt to changes in consumer preferences Traditional vending machines have shortcomings such as limited change shopping, single payment tools, limited number of products, and few choices Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, consumption habits have shifted to contactless methods, causing the unmanned store market to heat up Generally, vending machines can only place relatively simple products such as drinks, food, etc The properties available for sale are limited The patented vending machine developed by Magpie can adjust the shelf space and is equipped with a lifting cargo elevator, which is suitable for various types of goods In addition, the machine is equipped with an industrial computer and a large-size touch display screen, which can meet the needs of advertising support at the same time It is expected to move towards a storeless store According to Magpie Life Observation, the consumer market trend in the past two years is that consumers demand convenient life, food consumption patterns value dining experiencesimple and fast, and are equipped with mobile phone-connected ordering models, and hot drinks and Fresh food delivery is the focus of two major trends The location, items sold, consumption methods and multiple payment methods are the focus of market growth for smart vending machines In terms of convenience, Taiwanese consumers still prefer to purchase vending machine food near stations, airports, schools, and businesses in business districts Various payment methods are also gaining more support from consumers, indicating that in the future, automatic Vending machines can be developed in two directions diversified items and diversified payment methods AI sales forecast technology integrates back-end management to achieve precise marketing purposesDue to the wide variety of products, it is difficult to know the performance of products under different factors such as season, market conditions , promotional activities, etc, it is easy to cause out-of-stock or over-inventory situations Magpie Life has specially developed "AI sales forecasting technology" and integrated it into the back-end management system, hoping to lock in customer purchasing preferences and intentions through data analysis In order to achieve the purpose of precise marketing, make accurate business decisions and effectively allocate limited resources The introduction of AI systems can achieve the three major goals of precise marketing, inventory management and supply chain management This system is a replenishment decision-making aid designed specifically for supply chain managers It uses AI to predict future sales demand, helping companies effectively optimize production capacity, inventory and distribution strategies Its overall system architecture includes1 Data exploratory analysis function Provides automatic value filling, automatic coding and automatic feature screening functions for missing values in the data 2 Modeling function 1 Provides model training functions for two types of prediction problems regression Regression and time series Time Series Forecast nbsp2 Supports Auto ML automatic modeling, and the best model is recommended by the system Integrated models can also be established to improve model accuracy nbsp3 Supports multiple algorithm types Random Forest, XGBoost, GBM and other algorithms nbsp4 Supports a variety of time series models exponential smoothing, ARIMA, ARIMAX, intermittent demand, dynamic multiple regression and other models nbsp5 Supports a variety of model evaluation indicators R, MAE, MSE, RMSE, Deviance, AUC, Lift top 1, Misclassification and other indicators nbsp6 Supports automatic cutting of training data sets and Holdout verification data sets, and can manually adjust the ratio nbsp7 Supports automatic model ensemble learning Stacked Ensemble, balancing function learning Balancing Classes, and Early Stopping nbsp8 Supports the creation of multiple models at the same time The system will allocate resources according to modeling needs, so that modeling, prediction and other tasks have independent computing resources and do not affect each other In the overall server space With an upper limit, computing resources can be used efficiently nbsp9 It has in-memory computing function, which can use large-capacity and high-speed memory to perform calculations to avoid reading and writing a large number of files from the hard disk and improve computing performance 3 Data concatenation function Using API grafting and complete data concatenation automation, there is no need to manually import data, improving user experience 4 Chart analysis function Provides visual charts and basic statistical values for product sales AI data analysis solutions have two major advantages 1 Entrepreneurship machines can be rented and sold at low cost to open unmanned physical stores and cooperate with the chain retail industry Through smart machines, entrepreneurs can rent and sell them at a lower cost than the store rent Cost of running a retail business Two cooperation models, machine sales and leasing, are provided, and the choice is based on the evaluation of the industry 2 Various types of products are put on the shelves Products are sold anytime and anywhere 24 hours a day Up to 60 kinds of diversified products can be put on the shelves Large transparent windows enhance the visibility of products Regular replenishment and tracking of product sales status are available, and product types can be adjusted according to needs Recently, the line between the Internet and the physical world has blurred, the way customers interact has changed significantly, and consumer demand is changing and personalized The retail industry is facing unprecedented challenges and uncertainties, and mastering data has become key AI data analysis solutions can help the retail industry quickly activate large amounts of data, create seamless personalized experiences, optimize the operational value chain and improve efficiency, and strengthen the core competitiveness of enterprises 「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-05-19」