Day: 29 May 2020

The coronavirus has taken hold around the world, and all parts of the economy have a duty to help slow the spread of the virus. An increasing number of logistics firms are implementing measures to maintain operations and protect their workforce. Masks, or even simple face coverings, are now standard items of clothing in many warehouses, as they are in everyday life. But what impact do they have on voice recognition when working with pick-by-voice systems? EPG has looked into this very question and has conducted a computer-based test to assess recognition rates when staff are wearing a mask.

“I’d first like to share the findings: When working with voice-controlled systems while wearing a mask, the speaker-independent system Lydia® Voice once again demonstrated its strengths compared with systems based on personal voice profiles,” says Tim Just, CEO of EPS (Ehrhardt + Partner Solutions, a Member of EPG). “We invested a lot of development work into the latest version of our voice software and that’s really paying off in the crisis: With the aid of our technology, we’re helping logistics companies to maintain their operations and avoid any shortfalls in picking productivity despite the safety measures in place.” The test was conducted using the latest version of the system, Lydia® 8, which is based on neural networks and the deep learning concept. This concept resulted in a 25% improvement in recognition security, representing an important advantage primarily for employees with dialects or strong accents. “The test shows that precise recognition is still very much achievable even when the speaker is wearing a face covering, with no system adjustments required. In addition, voice training – and subsequent training with a mask – is not necessary, as can be the case with speaker-dependent pick-by-voice solutions,” says Just.

The standardized, computer-based test evaluated the impact of wearing N95, FFP2, paper or cloth masks on voice recognition rates while using the latest version of Lydia® Voice. The test was initially carried out with three different types of headset. The results for all types of mask showed roughly the same recognition rate (99.75% to 100%) as picking without a mask. Even with the FFP2 masks, which are generally reserved for healthcare professionals, there were practically no measurable shortfalls when using Lydia® Voice. Picking with the Lydia® VoiceWear® also passed the mask test, with the results similar to those achieved with the headset. N95, cloth and paper masks had hardly any measurable impact on voice recognition quality in this test either, with no declines in productivity. “Only the FFP2 masks in combination with Lydia® VoiceWear® showed some minor deviation, although it was still at a tolerable level,” Tim Just adds. “This deviation is due to the fact that FFP2 masks have a greater impact on acoustic signals due to the way they are made.”

Hyundai Construction Equipment was the first company in Korea to develop driverless autonomous forklift trucks – HCE is now planning to progress its smart logistics solutions using KT’s (Korea Telecom) 5G communication network and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Hyundai CE announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KT on12th May, 10 officials were in attendance, including Hyundai CE President Kong Ki-young and KT Vice President Jeon Hong-beom (Head of the AI/DX Convergence Business Group), to witness the joint development of the 5G technology-based solutions, for smart construction equipment and material handling.

This MOU will enable the two companies to combine their technologies, the autonomous vehicle technology of Hyundai Construction Equipment, and KT’s ICT (information and communications) technologies, such as 5G communication and AI, to supply the advanced smart logistics solutions to the market.

This technological collaboration will improve the remote management and the level of control of the autonomous forklift, which will also benefit from a remote service system that is operated by an AI voice control solution, video, and augmented reality (AR).

Hyundai CE’s autonomous forklift technology is a state-of-the-art logistics solution that autonomously recognises the environment, and obstacles in the workplace, and is able to navigate through the best routes on its own, which greatly increases productivity, with enhanced navigational speed and efficient use of logistics within the workspace.

The risk of accidents in the workplace can be significantly reduced because the work is carried out along a planned path. The interest for this ‘no contact’ technology has significantly increased, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where social-distancing is key in the workplace.

Kong Ki-young, President of Hyundai CE, said, “A large number of officials from the automobiles and electronics companies attended our recent demonstration of autonomous forklifts held at the Eumseong Global Logistics Center in Chungbuk, and their wishes for introducing the technology demonstrated, have been pouring in. In addition to autonomous forklifts, we will supply the entire logistics solution covering the control system, charging facilities, warehouse management system (WMS), and manufacturing execution system (MES) to lead the market.”

Jeon Hong-beom, Vice President of KT, also said, “This cooperation will be a springboard, to advance material handling using the new technologies, such as 5G and AI, and we expect this innovation in manufacturing and logistics fields to become a reality. KT will continue to push ahead with digital transformation of Korean industries by use of our ICT capabilities.”

Meanwhile, the Hyundai Heavy Industries Group continues to work with KT to upgrade its smart factory and smart shipyard business through a combination of its robot development technology and shipbuilding technology with KT’s 5G, big data, and AI technologies.