Daihatsu Motor has put an AI-based inspection system into operation at its Shiga (Ryuo) Plant in Japan, checking transmission components to a 0.1mm tolerance. The system detects scratches and other defects inside machined aluminium holes, a task previously performed by skilled manual inspectors. Toyota's mini-vehicle unit developed the technology with VRAIN Solution, a manufacturer-focused AI solutions firm.

The deployment is currently live in the plant's No. 1 area. Daihatsu and VRAIN Solution have jointly filed patent applications covering the technology, and the automaker states the system applies to aluminium products of similar structure, with plans to extend it to other component inspection processes. Those expansion plans remain announced intentions rather than confirmed installations.

Why did automation fail here before?

The inspection task resisted earlier attempts at automation because defect types and their positions vary widely across machined holes. That variability kept the process dependent on accumulated operator expertise — inspectors learned to spot faults that fixed-rule machines missed.

The joint project worked by combining shop-floor knowledge with image recognition algorithms. The result, according to Daihatsu, is consistent accuracy without manual intervention. In practical terms, the machine now matches the judgement that only trained inspectors could previously exercise.

What does the DX programme signal?

The Shiga deployment sits inside Daihatsu's company-wide digital transformation programme, run under the slogan "Digital Technology That Cares for People." The structure matters as much as the software. Daihatsu states the programme is led from the shop floor, not handed down by engineering headquarters.

The automaker runs on-site training so workers build their own capacity to implement AI tools across its manufacturing sites. Vendors' AI claims in quality control often shrink under production conditions; Daihatsu's model — operators co-developing and then operating the system — is designed to close that gap between demonstration and daily use.

What to watch next

Three markers will show whether this moves beyond a single-line pilot:

• The patent filings from Daihatsu and VRAIN Solution, which signal how broadly the partners intend to license or protect the inspection method
• Extension of the system from the No. 1 area to other aluminium component inspection processes at Shiga
• Rollout to further Daihatsu plants under the DX programme, which would confirm the shop-floor-led training model scales

For now, the confirmed fact is narrow but concrete: one AI inspection system, one Japanese plant, one component family, running without manual inspectors.

By Sophie Lindqvist