AI Cup showcases young engineering talent

For the past five years, we have tasked young talent from universities around the world to help figure out how artificial intelligence (AI) could be implemented in our facilities to solve for some of the real world challenges we face as we make products for customers working toward a safer, sustainable, productive and connected future. This past year, 230 students from 31 universities in seven countries stepped up to compete in the annual AI Cup.

Founded in 2018, the TE AI Cup has provided students an opportunity to experiment with AI innovation in an industrial manufacturing setting. The teams of students immersed themselves in more than 30 of our manufacturing sites at the beginning of this year’s competition to understand the various challenges the company manages in the manufacturing process. The AI-based solutions the teams developed were tested, verified and adjusted within the factories, with guidance and support from TE advisors and university mentors. 

One winning team developed an AI visual inspection system for cable welding, resulting in a 95% reduction in scrapped metal, a solution that has since been deployed on six product lines at one of our plants. Another winning team developed an AI-driven process to support patent research and analysis that is 40 times faster than doing this work manually. 

"The work that has been done by more than 650 students and hundreds of TE advisors over the years has been truly innovative and remarkable," said Roberto Lu, TE AI Cup founder and vice president of technology. "The students have gained invaluable industry experience in a way that also benefits TE."

Participants said that facing real-world challenges will serve them well as they begin their careers. 

"This invaluable experience allowed students to gain hands-on experience that transcends theoretical knowledge, equipping them with practical skills and insights," said Prof. Roger Jiao from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, advising professor for this year’s TE AI Cup. "This industry-led applied research initiative is driving a new era of education, fostering innovation, and ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to excel in the age of AI."