The general theme being generated from announcements at the Singapore Airshow is that the industry is embracing the future with digital and new technology being launched from all corners. Foremost is the introduction of Rolls-Royce IntelligentEngine.
The IntelligentEngine vision is powered by digital technology, which introduces a future where an engine will be increasingly connected, contextually aware and comprehending, helping to deliver greater reliability and efficiency.
The IntelligentEngine is connected with other engines, its support ecosystem, and with its customer, allowing for regular, two-way flow of information between many parties; it is what Rolls-Royce describes as “contextually aware” of its operating context, constraints and the needs of the customer, allowing it to respond to the environment around it without human intervention; and it is also comprehending, with the ability to learn from its own experiences and from its network of peers to adjust its behaviour and achieve best performance.
By the end of this year Rolls-Royce will be set to receive more than 70 trillion data points from its in-service fleet each year.
Rolls-Royce’s R2 Data Labs, an acceleration hub for data innovation launched in December 2017, will play a key role in achieving the aims of the IntelligentEngine. Using advanced data analytics, industrial Artificial Intelligence and machine learning techniques, R2 Data Labs develops data applications that unlock design, manufacturing and operational efficiencies within Rolls-Royce, and creates new service propositions for customers.
Rolls-Royce will set out further details of the IntelligentEngine vision over the coming year.
At the heart of R2 Data Labs are Data Innovation Cells; mixed discipline teams of data experts who work in collaboration with teams from across Rolls-Royce’s operations. These cells apply cutting edge DevOps principles to rapidly explore data, unlock and test new ideas, and turn those ideas into new innovation and services.
“Digital information is the lifeblood of the IntelligentEngine,” says Dominic Horwood, Rolls-Royce, Director, Customer and Services – Civil Aerospace. “By working collaboratively with our customers and other third parties to harness the power of the data available to us we will be able to deliver another revolution in customer service.
“In R2 Data Labs we have something that sets us apart from our competitors, allowing us to stay at the forefront of digital technology and respond to meet the fast-changing needs of our customers. We are pioneering the power that matters.”
R2 Data Labs works with a variety of partners to provide IT infrastructure and to power its analytics ecosystem – from established players in the field such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Microsoft, to start-ups and academia. R2 Data Labs has data innovation capability hubs in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Singapore, India and New Zealand.