Picture this: A GPU-accelerated CT X-ray inspection machine peering into circuit boards at 0.2 µm/pix resolution, paired with a virtual human assistant that explains, tweaks, and optimizes the process in plain language. That’s precisely what industrial automation giant OMRON showcased at NVIDIA’s GTC 2025 last week.
At the heart of the demo was OMRON’s VT-X inspection machine. Powered internally by NVIDIA GPUs for rapid processing, a feature Jaeyoung Park, General Manager, Controller Division at OMRON Corporation highlighted..
During the GTC showcase, the system was shown inspecting Ball Grid Arrays (BGAs) found in complex components like NVIDIA’s RTX 2000 series GPUs shown in the demo. The unit can accommodate other PCBA devices as well, including µBGA, LGA, Flip Chip, PoP, QFN, THT, Press-fit, and all discrete devices.
X-ray inspection at this micro-level typically demands extensive operator expertise, but OMRON is tackling this challenge by integrating generative AI. Collaborating with Japan-based Aww Inc., their virtual human assistant allows users to interact with the VT-X using natural language – requesting adjustments, understanding results, and guiding newer operators through complex procedures. Shintaro Iwamura, a distinguished specialist of Technology, Factory Automation DX and Metaverse, noted that Aww Inc.’s virtual humans go beyond use in industrial applications. Aww’s virtual humans are considered “talent.” And they make appearances in advertising and have their own Instagram accounts.
Related: Check out the profile for Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies on Top Labs
In the case of the VT-X demo, the virtual human is an AI “copilot” for the inspection line. As Park described, this combination of software and AI allows operators to adjust parameters, such as minimum and maximum inspection settings, through natural language interaction. Whether it’s refining defect detection values or explaining how to optimize image contrast, the assistant can accelerate iteration and troubleshooting.
Close-up of the Aww virtual human assistant on the OMRON VT-X interface. [Photo from the author]
Park mentioned that OMRON has established extensive partnerships with NVIDIA, especially focusing on manufacturing applications. OMRON is a member of the NVIDIA Omniverse Partner Council Japan.
OMRON’s automation software platform, Sysmac Studio, acts as the bridge between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). OMRON’s GTC 2025 demonstration showcases how its automation systems, spanning controllers, sensors, servo motors, and safety devices, integrate with Sysmac Studio and NVIDIA Omniverse to create digital twin environments. That is, the system collects real-time operational data from the factory floor through controllers like the NX series PLC, sensors, and inspection machines like the VT-X.
This high-speed, high-precision control is important for creating accurate digital twins. The Sysmac platform has been “built with the sole purpose of maximizing automation performance” and “combines the strengths of open protocols” to create “robust control architectures while gathering more process data,” as an Omron notes. This data is then streamed and converted for visualization within NVIDIA Omniverse. This enables what what Park described in a press release as “real-time, physically accurate digital twins that unlock the full potential of digitalized manufacturing.”
The bridge between OT and IT is significant because digital twins typically combine 1D (think tabular data from IT/OT systems) and 2D/3D (examples include CAD, reality capture scans and BIM) data to create representations that enable design and planning to simulation and remote real-time monitoring and control of operations. By integrating these technologies, OMRON is creating a continuous data flow from industrial equipment through their controllers and software into the immersive visualization environment of NVIDIA Omniverse.
