Mahindra Ecole Centrale signs a Joint Research Agreement with GROUND Inc.

Mahindra Ecole Centrale announced the signing of a Joint Research agreement with GROUND Inc., the Japanese leader in the field of LogiTech. The research will focus on the application of AI Semiconductor Field Programmable Gate Arrays in the field of Logistics. FPGAs are an integrated circuit whose circuits can be re-written after manufacturing.

FPGAs have attracted attention in recent years as AI semiconductor solutions. MEC and GROUND will undertake research with the aim of accelerating the development of the Dynamic Allocation System” (DyAS), the AI logistics software that GROUND is currently developing in-house.

With electronic commerce(eCom) developing into social infrastructure that supports people’s lives due to the widespread adoption of Internet-based purchases, flea market apps and so on, the volume of transactions has increased, while the diversification of consumer purchasing experiences has also accelerated due to the concurrence of brick-and-mortar and eCom stores. As a result, the role of logistics in supporting eCom behind the scenes to ensure that products are delivered accurately and without delay has also been forced to change. This has created a growing need to optimize distribution warehouses to handle small-lot, high-frequency deliveries and immediate deliveries, and to optimize complex combinations of various factors involved with purchasing scenarios and distribution sites in ways that are tailored to consumer needs.

As a solution to help solve these challenges, GROUND is pursuing the development of the DyAS, AI logistics software, which is designed to optimize and adjust inventory arrangement and resources (people, robots, etc.) within a warehouse. GROUND is now focusing on FPGAs as the semiconductor solutions to perform high-speed processing of the AI deep learning that is at the core of DyAS. Mahindra Ecole Centrale will promote the applications for basic research for DyAS.

“We are delighted that we have the opportunity to work with Mahindra Ecole Centrale on joint research into speeding up the processing of combination optimization using FPGAs. This joint research is an endeavor of profound significance to apply FPGAs, whose practical utilization is still in its infancy, for the fields of logistics and distribution. In addition to performing GPU-based parallel processing, by also using new computer chips to perform CPU-optimized computations in parallel, we will achieve fast processing speeds even working with large volumes of combination data, and we hope to leverage this for faster logistics handling”, says Takatsugu Kobayashi, General Manager / Chief Digital Officer / Head of Global Innovation, GROUND Inc.

“At MEC, research is an integral part of our very being. We are happy to partner GROUND in the joint development of a niche technology that will be of value to the company along its line of business in logistics and distribution. This manifests our keen desire to actively interact with different companies and contribute to their growth in areas at the frontiers of global technology”, says Dr. Arya K. Bhattacharya, Dean Research, Mahindra Ecole Centrale.

MEC’s stated vision is to promote Research at an International Level of Excellence to extend the Edge of Scientific Knowledge and contribute to the Rise of a New India. To meet this, work is undertaken in development of basic & applied research, especially catering to industrial needs. This involves undertaking research for industries as well as collaborating with Indian and global academic & research organizations. In 4 years, MEC has produced 180+ papers and today has more than 20 externally funded research projects focused on emerging technologies like AI & ML, Manufacturing Processing & Mechanics, Materials, Optics & Optoelectronics, Energy, Digital & Tech Media, Earth & Environmental Sciences, etc.

GROUND will continue to actively pursue global collaboration between industry and academia and other R&D endeavors related to cutting-edge technologies such as AI and robotics as it strives to create new value for the logistics industry using technology and contribute to the industry’s transformation.