The development of the aerospace high-tech industry is closely related to military applications, but more importantly, the tremendous progress humans have made in this industry has had a significant and far-reaching impact on many aspects of the economy and life, driving and changing the face of the world. In the 21st century, the role of aerospace activities will far exceed the field of science, and will have a wider impact on politics, economy, military and human social life, and will continue to create new scientific and technological achievements and huge economic benefits.
According to Advanced Manufacturing, six new manufacturing technologies will help the aerospace industry to embrace a brighter future: advanced design technologies, digital assistants, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), new manufacturing materials, collaborative robots, and advanced computing capabilities.
First, advanced design techniques can improve the design process by leveraging data and simulation, but so far, design has relied on personal experience, training, and intuition. Lockheed Martin pointed out that new design tools such as generative design (generative design), through artificial intelligence (AI) and real data, allow the aerospace industry to quickly produce affordable and lightweight parts.
Generative design software lets engineers or designers set goals and parameters, including budgets, materials, and manufacturing methods. The software then runs simulations to suggest optimal designs and continually refine the design based on new information or parameters.
The second is smarter digital assistants. Although the technology of digital assistants is still immature but promising, it can detect potential problems faster than humans. Although the technology is still in its infancy in the manufacturing industry, it is expected to provide advice and insights for manufacturing personnel in the future, but the relevant technology requires a considerable amount of investment, so that the industry is not able to move forward.
The third is that AR and VR transform factory personnel into superhumans. For example, workers wear exoskeleton robots that can lift heavy objects that they could not handle. VR technology has matured in the game industry and is currently trying to apply it to the industrial field.
The fourth is the introduction of new manufacturing materials. Integrated Computational Engineering of Materials (ICME) designs materials in the basic unit of atoms to improve thermal conductivity and electromagnetic energy conductivity, as well as reduce volume and weight. For example, Graphene was developed in 2004. , has been put into production, and other new materials are also in the research and development stage.
The fifth is collaborative robots. Although the robot industry is mature, most robots still work independently and keep a certain distance from humans. Robots can sense the presence of humans and allow people and machines to live in peace. Japanese robots have already served in the medical industry to meet the daily needs of the elderly.
The sixth is the huge increase in computing power, which can process the large amount of data collected by smart factories. Quantum computers are 3,600 times faster than supercomputers, but are still 8-10 years away from general commercialization and large-scale operations.
Biomorphic computing is more imitating the human brain. Although the conduction speed of human brain neurons is slow, they have a huge number, which is equivalent to super-large-scale parallel computing, thus making up for the lack of processing speed of a single neuron. IBM uses the TrueNorth chip to simulate bionic computing and recognition, and the ultimate goal is to break the existing traditional computer architecture.
