Toshiba and NTT have jointly demonstrated remote production equipment control and cloud-based AI visual inspection over a distance of approximately 300 km. Using NTT’s All Photonics Network (APN) and RDMA acceleration technology together with Toshiba’s Meister Controller Cloud PLC Package typeN1, the companies achieved a 20 ms control cycle and 4 fps (250 ms) visual inspection performance. These results align with requirements for high-speed manufacturing lines, including automotive production.
The experiment validates that cloud-based PLCs can support operations traditionally handled by on-premise systems. By migrating control and inspection functions to the cloud, manufacturers can reduce on-site maintenance, centralize management across multiple factories, and support broader digital transformation initiatives.
The test environment, built at the NTT Musashino R&D Center, confirmed stable performance for both remote control and AI inspection tasks. NTT provided the APN network setup and RDMA enhancements, while Toshiba supplied industrial computers, control software, and evaluation of control cycles.
The companies plan to refine service specifications and move toward commercialization of cloud-based PLC services by FY2027 or later. Future efforts include expanding cloud migration to additional functions such as predictive maintenance AI, supporting improved efficiency and resource optimization across manufacturing sites.
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