Using Cutting-edge AI and IoT to Take on the Challenge of Digital Transformation Together with Customers: Fujitsu Forum 2018 Event Report Part 2
Technology Zone

Fujitsu Forum 2018 introduced outcomes and success factors achieved through co-creation with customers and strategic partners, hosting a variety of seminars and exhibition demonstrations to showcase cutting-edge technologies. The Technology Zone focussed on advanced technologies that accelerate digital transformation.

AI and Digital Annealer to Accelerate Digital Transformation

Explainable AI that Can be Used for Judgment with Responsibility

This technology explains the reasons and evidence for AI's inference results for a given problem. It outputs the reasons for its judgements by associating AI inference results (obtained by Fujitsu's unique "Deep Tensor" technology) with vast amounts of knowledge (stored in academic papers, etc.) represented as a "knowledge graph." Fujitsu has been studying how to apply this technology to the healthcare, financing, and corporate sectors. The exhibition presented a case study on reducing patient burden during radiotherapy.

Visually presenting evidence for inference results

New Architecture without Waiting for Quantum Computing Readiness

Another instance of Fujitsu AI on display was the quantum computing-inspired Digital Annealer, which Fujitsu released as a cloud service on May 15. Later, Fujitsu will launch on-premise products with extended functionality. Specific case studies presented at the site included applications for cancer radiotherapy, optimized arrangement of parts in factory warehouses and in logistics, and traffic volume optimization in urban areas.

Digital Annealer quickly solves complex combinatorial optimization problems

Digital Annealer can solve previously intractable problems that take conventional computers approximately 800 million years to solve in less than a second

Verification of patterns optimized in cancer radiotherapy was showcased as an application in medical care. Since radiation exposure adversely affects normal cells, irradiation is performed multiple times from different angles and at different exposure times. Previously, due to the very large number of combination factors, it took several days for the medical team to study and determine an apparently optimal irradiation pattern. Use of Digital Annealer enables an optimal solution to be obtained in about a day, allowing support for more cancer patients without increasing the number of medical team members or irradiation facilities.

A Fujitsu factory case study was introduced as an example of applications in factories. When delivery slips are passed to Digital Annealer, it sorts them in the order of best route. Digital Annealer can also propose optimal parts arrangements in warehouses; in the demonstration experiment, workers' travel distances were reduced by 45%. In addition to these examples, a case study applying Digital Annealer to optimize traffic announcements was introduced.

Digital Annealer

Battery-free Devices Suitable for IoT Solutions

Sensor devices require power to operate. However, using a battery requires periodic maintenance, which is costly to perform. Here, two IoT devices that operate without maintenance for a long time were exhibited.

The Bluetooth beacon, which is powered by interior lighting, has a solar battery and is about the size of a stick of gum, taking up little space. Even under lighting of about 300 lux, it can broadcast a signal every second.

Sensor devices using Sigfox, one of the LPWA communication standards suitable for outdoor long-distance communication, tend to consume power. Fujitsu developed a module that stably operates at about 4000 luces, enabling customers to see real-time visualization of temperature and humidity.

Bluetooth beacon PulsarGum, which is about the size of a stick of gum and can transmit radio waves while powering itself from office environment lighting; it is thin and lightweight, and can be used merely by attaching it to something.

World's New Smallest LPWA-Compliant IoT Device That Eliminates Battery Replacement

Using AI, IoT, big data, and other advanced technologies together with many co-creation partners, Fujitsu continues to create new value that will change business and our lives.