What is IA2IA?
The moniker is the first, if not only, attempt to articulate the importance of moving toward true autonomous operations — especially in a post-pandemic world — and what moving toward that really means. Yokogawa suggests it is imperative that we recognize that current conditions and future uncertainty require us to introduce more autonomy into the processes required for the making of essential goods and breakthrough discoveries. For humanity to be more successful exploring the newest frontier — and to become more resilient to unforeseen circumstances — we need to appreciate the spatial, temporal, and cognitive distances that are out of the reach of human workers due to a variety of changing circumstances. As a couple of examples of this, consider the following.
Modern cars are equipped with automatic decision brakes for this same reason: In critical situations, sensor-driven systems can interpret data and react to it faster than any human operator. This is a pragmatic example of the IA2IA evolution, and we believe that the number of similar needs will increase further in the future.
Another example, that even though it has to do with space, is very relevant to being able to operate at a distance right here on earth.
Because of the vast distance between Earth and Mars, it takes ~28 minutes to communicate back and forth, which makes real-time operation impossible. It is necessary for the equipment in the field to autonomously judge the situation and put thoughtful responses it into action. The situation requiring such autonomy is not limited to Mars.
To get more involved in elevating the concept of autonomous operations and support for IA2IA, visit
