Alexa and Siri, meet Athena for machining

Alexa and Siri, meet Athena, a new voice-enabled digital assistant for machining.

Like its well-known counterparts in the consumer space, Athena acts in response to voice commands. But it is designed specifically for the plant floor where it can control machine tools and perform other helpful functions for machine operators.

Athena is partly a reaction to the skills gap. For machining novices, Athena can make it easier to learn about, operate and maintain a machine tool.

Developed by Mason, Ohio-based industry technology incubator iT SpeeX LLC, Athena is billed as the first voice-operated intelligent assistant for manufacturing. Like Alexa, Athena is triggered when users say its name.

Athena allows headset-wearing personnel to operate machine tools using voice commands. Image courtesy of Makino

With a little training, operators of all skill levels can use Athena, according to its backers. And it improves over time, they say, thanks to its ability to learn about users’ speech patterns, as well as the machines to which it’s connected.

Athena’s marquee function is following voice commands to set up and run a machine. But the
digital assistant can do much more. Its communication skills are not restricted to those involving speech. For example, it can calculate metrics that would normally not be readily available to an operator, including cost per part and remaining tool life. Athena can also deliver reports, such as for machine status and performance data.

Novice machinists may especially appreciate Athena’s ability to coach operators on various procedures. In addition to providing spoken instructions, the assistant can display needed diagrams and other information on the machine’s screen.