Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, global industry experts in factory automation and industrial control technologies, and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, world experts in image sensors and sensing technologies, have agreed to establish a joint venture focused on AI-powered vision sensor solutions for advanced manufacturing applications.
The new company, Advanced Vision Solutions Co., Ltd., is scheduled to begin operations in October 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other required clearances. Advanced Vision Solutions will develop and offer vision sensors and related solutions incorporating edge AI for direct visual data analysis on image sensors. The technology is intended to identify manufacturing conditions and changes that have traditionally been difficult to visualize. It will then connect that information with equipment decision-making and control.
The joint venture will combine Sony’s image sensors and edge AI technologies with Mitsubishi Electric’s factory automation control systems and manufacturing expertise. The companies intend to support greater automation and autonomous operation across a wide range of manufacturing equipment, contributing to labor savings and unmanned operations. On manufacturing lines, vision sensors use cameras to capture images of products and parts. The technology enables the real-time detection of the condition and positional information of target objects, allowing the resulting data to be used with factory automation equipment.
Components Source Network / Industrial Automation Monthly editorial stock photo illustrating AI-powered vision sensor applications in factory automation.
The planned solutions will capture information related to manufacturing-site conditions, product quality, equipment operation and maintenance. AI processing will extract relevant information from that visual data and connect it with appropriate operating decisions and subsequent control. The companies note that this approach is anticipated to enable timely and autonomous improvements tailored to equipment and operating conditions, with minimal manual intervention.
In addition to visual information, the solutions will integrate data from other manufacturing systems. This multimodal approach is intended to help production systems identify changes, early signs and other conditions that cannot otherwise be fully recognized through a single type of data alone. The companies also plan to make the solutions accessible without requiring specialized expertise in optics or artificial intelligence. The technology is intended for industries seeking labor savings, autonomous operations, quality improvements and more advanced maintenance in production environments.
“Mitsubishi Electric has long provided a wide range of FA equipment to customers, primarily in the manufacturing sector,” said Takayuki Tsuzuki, Executive Officer (Associate); Group President, Factory Automation Systems at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. “Today, the need for labor-saving, unmanned systems and autonomous optimization at production sites is greater than ever. Through this partnership with Sony Semiconductor Solutions, we will develop AI vision sensors as a new core component and build a new FA digital solutions business by integrating vision data with our digital platform, ‘Serendie.’ Furthermore, by realizing advanced autonomous control with physical AI and other applications, we aim to provide new value to customers and address social challenges such as labor shortages.”
“Sony has contributed to solving challenges and creating new value across a wide range of industries by accurately capturing real-world information through edge‑AI sensing technologies centered on image sensors,” said Shinji Sashida, President and CEO of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation. “Image sensors, which serve as the ‘eyes’ that generate vision data, play an important role in enabling AI to understand on-site conditions and connect them to decision-making and control. Through this partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, which has deep expertise and a strong customer base in the FA domain, we will bring solutions that leverage our sensing technologies to the market, create value across an even broader range of industries, and further accelerate the evolution of our sensing technologies.”
Advanced Vision Solutions will be based at 3-3-3 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan, and led by representative Tamiki Kobayashi. Mitsubishi Electric will hold a 60% interest in the company, while Sony Semiconductor Solutions will hold the remaining 40%. Through the initiative, the companies also aim to advance the deployment of physical AI within the factory automation domain, connecting vision-based recognition with manufacturing decision-making and control.
Mitsubishi Electric plans to integrate the joint venture’s vision data with its Serendie digital platform as part of a new factory automation digital-solutions business.
About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Founded in 1921, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation manufactures, markets and sells electrical and electronic equipment and systems. Its principal markets include public utility systems, energy systems, defense and space systems, factory automation, automotive equipment, building systems, air conditioning and home products, digital innovations, and semiconductor devices. The company has more than 200 group companies and approximately 150,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please click here.
About Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, operates a semiconductor-device business centered on image sensors. The company develops imaging and sensing technologies that expand the visual and recognition capabilities of people and machines across consumer, industrial and other applications. To learn more, please click here.
(Editor’s note: Serendie is a registered trademark or trademark of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in Japan and/or other countries.)
Source: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
(Editor’s Note: All trademarks mentioned in this article, including company names, product names, and logos, are the property of their respective owners. Use of these trademarks is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement.)
Molly Bakewell Chamberlin is the Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Components Source Network, a 100% woman- and disability-owned B2B publishing and expert marketplace platform serving the global high-tech manufacturing and engineering community. She is the architect, author and developer of the Network’s 11 specialized e-news sites and 11 peer-vetted expert e-marketplaces, including Industrial Automation Monthly. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic technical marketing, public relations and business development, she is also the Founder and President of Embassy Global, LLC, which has supported more than 200 high-tech industry brands worldwide since 2008. Molly also serves pro bono as Second Vice Chair of the Government Team for the WBENC Forum and is a long-standing advocate for small business, supplier diversity, sustainability and women in STEM. Connect with Molly on LinkedIn.
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