AI Transforms Painting: The Era of Teachingless Technology #1
Interview with Chairman Sasaki (former president) published in the March 5, 2025 issue of Coating Journal
TAKUBO Engineering President Eiji Sasaki
In February, TAKUBO Engineering celebrated its 50th anniversary. President Eiji Sasaki, who turned 80 in January, is always focused on the future of painting. This year, the company aims to implement automatic teaching using AI, marking the "first year of teachingless technology." He also emphasizes that "the era of selling only paint is over," advocating for the active collaboration between paint and equipment manufacturers. President Sasaki shared his vision for the future of paint and painting.
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——As someone who has long observed painting technology, how do you view the changes in painting machines?"The major trend is that both domestically and internationally, specialization has progressed, and there are fewer companies that can be called comprehensive painting machine manufacturers. This is because it is believed that this approach is more efficient and easier to expand in scale. Previously, painting machine manufacturers also owned robots. Compared to the era when comprehensive painting machine manufacturers dominated the world, things have changed significantly."
——What do you think about the impact of specialization?
"It has become very difficult to conceive new ideas. Occasionally, I receive inquiries about what will come after robot painting, but the answer is always more robots. Just as cars remain four-wheeled despite changes in internal combustion engines and materials, focusing solely on individual products does not lead to major innovations. In that sense, I believe we need to return to the basics of developing and commercializing each element technology as manufacturing companies."
——Are there ways to change the situation?
"I believe that the use of AI will greatly change painting in the future. Three years ago, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) with knowledge and abilities equivalent to humans emerged, and at the end of last year, OpenAI in the US released a new version of ChatGPT called 'o3'. 'o3' is an AI that can accumulate step-by-step reasoning. Until now, human brains were used to control robots, but now AI brains can be used for control. This makes automatic teaching more realistic. New painting methods will likely become apparent within a few years."
——Your company has declared this year as the 'first year of teachingless technology'.
"I don't want there to be any misunderstanding; we are not starting the development of teachingless technology now. We have accumulated technologies such as image analysis and fluid analysis, and have entered the practical implementation stage. Our goal is to develop a system that calculates the optimal painting method and cost by simply registering the work and then transmits it to the painting machine."
"Using AI is essentially digitalization. Since the development of the hanging robot, we have promoted this digitalization and designed our own teaching programs for about 40 years. Today, the key to utilizing AI is to eliminate the tasks that humans think about. I will introduce the details on various occasions, but we position this year as the 'first year' of implementation."
——It's hard to feel the reality of it, isn't it?
"Digitalization doesn't quite resonate. I am also surprised by the rapid pace of AI development. I thought it would take more time to develop 'o3', but it appeared very quickly. We have entered an era where we must work with the assumption that computers can think and reason on their own."
——Will the application of AI in painting start with robots? Considering the current situation, it seems that the applications are limited.
"That's correct. The applications might be limited, based on current thinking. Whether the paint and painting industry can innovate with AI depends on paint development. However, much of industrial painting uses baking paints that cure with heat. Without moving away from the idea of using heat, transforming the industry will be difficult. Therefore, each part must be rationally digitalized, and more flexible guidance should be entrusted to AI."
——Are there any strategies?
"Our company is currently focusing on paint development, particularly solvent-free paints, such as UV-curable paints. These paints are advantageous because they eliminate hazardous materials and reduce environmental impact by not using heat."
——There is a history of limited application despite expectations for expansion.
"This is largely due to the global shift towards carbon neutrality and decarbonization. This has led to a renewed interest in UV paints. We have received inquiries from customers about UV coatings and powder UV coatings, and I believe these will become more prominent in the next two to three years. The development of solvent-free UV or water-based UV paints using LED curing will depend on the technology of paint manufacturers."
——Are paint manufacturers also recognizing this trend?
"I think it is still limited to some extent. We have had many discussions with paint manufacturers about UV paints, but the common response is that 'they won't spread because users don't have the equipment.' This mindset that paints won't sell where there is no equipment has persisted for a long time."
To be continued in AI Transforms Painting: The Era of Teachingless Technology #2
Author: Coating Media Co., Ltd.
