Generative AI solutions company Genon said on Oct. 21 that AI vision inspection technology for Nike’s shoe manufacturing process in Indonesia has passed mass production validation.

Genon began developing AI vision inspection technology last year to automatically determine whether Nike shoe outsoles have defects. The system works by having AI analyze product surfaces captured by high-resolution cameras and dedicated lighting to identify defective areas.

In mass production validation conducted this year, it recorded defect detection rates of 99.7 percent and 99.2 percent for two product types, passing Nike Footwear’s final verification. Genon plans to begin developing a mass-production model within the year and apply it to actual production lines from 2027.

Follow-on orders are also continuing. Genon has won an additional order this year for an AI vision inspection project to identify minute defects in stitching and bonding areas on shoe uppers. It plans to expand the inspection scope to midsoles and finished products.

It also won a new production automation project using physical AI. The project combines collaborative robots and vision cameras in the outsole pressing process to automate repetitive tasks. Genon plans to apply a technology that enables robots to learn movements through demonstrations of remote operation by workers.

Genon aims to achieve profitability in the first year of its Indonesian local unit, established this year. It is also developing an AI solution that analyzes ship-related documents from global marine engineering company IKM Group and automatically generates work plan reports.

Genon CEO Seok-tae Ko (고석태) said, "In the AI manufacturing automation market, not only the accuracy of technology but also understanding of real production environments and on-site application capabilities are important competitiveness." He added, "We will strengthen cooperation with local customers and advance our project execution capabilities from technology development through commercialization."