The Challenge
- Rising global demand for toys and personalized gifts due to growing global population
- Inefficient manual processes and outdated systems causing production delays.
- Technological solutions failing in harsh north pole environment.
- Harsh conditions demands backup solutions to ensure uninterrupted power during peak production periods
- Toy defects, errors, or other missing components on toys that caused delays, wasted precious resources, or worst of all: left unhappy children
- Handling vast data from vision systems and Edge AI systems in real-time to keep production smoothly and meet seasonal delivery demands
- Need for overall rugged and reliable Edge AI technology to streamline operations 24/7 in extreme environments.
The Solution
- Premio’s Rugged Edge Media Hub Resources—A full library of Industry 4.0 resources that break down the Edge Continuum, its buckets, and products tailored to align with each.
- Premio’s Rugged Edge product portfolio that helped tackle all automation challenges within Santa’s workshop.
The Benefits
- Increased efficiency through automated workflows streamlined toy production and packaging.
- Real-time monitoring with tracked output remotely via Industrial Touchscreen Computers.
- Improved coordination and connectivity between the North Pole HQ and the rest of the world.
- Ensuring gift perfection with advanced machine vision to detect defects and validate accuracy during high-speed production.
- Real-time decision-making precision through high-performance edge computers.
- Enhanced Elf productivity with user-friendly interfaces through a touchscreen interface with Panel PCs.
- Longevity control with rugged and durable solutions that handle the extreme temperatures of the North Pole.
Background: Santa Claus
Christmas is a time of joy, celebration, and, most importantly to all the good children around the world.
Once a year, Santa Claus becomes the world’s busiest man, taking on the duty of delivering toys around the world. However, his one day of deliveries would not have been possible without his magical workshop operated by his trusty elves in the North Pole. Over many centuries, Santa Claus has been relying on the assistance of his magical elves and reindeer to ensure he fulfills his Christmas deadline each year. However, times were changing, and Santa recognized that new technology could provide the extra support needed to maintain his high standards in the face of increasing demand. The Christmas season was getting more challenging, and Santa was committed to meeting every child’s wishes.
The Challenge
At the turn of the 21st century, demand for Christmas toys skyrocketed, causing Santa’s operation to take a heavy hit. Santa’s workshop, once efficient with manual processes, now struggled to keep up. The elves found themselves stretched thin, working around the clock to meet the holiday deadline. Traditional processes and an aging infrastructure started to wear on both the elves and the workshop’s efficiency.
While it was manageable in the beginning, the manual processes and outdated systems eventually caught up. Santa observed the added strain and saw his workshop beginning to lag under the heavy workload, resulting in longer hours and more frequent breakdowns.
Santa ultimately realized that the increased stress of his Christmas deadline was taking a huge toll on his overall operations and his elves. Santa knew he couldn’t compromise on quality or push his elves harder without risking their health and well-being.
To ensure that all the children around the world can receive presents on Christmas day, he set out with a goal to improve his overall North Pole factory operation. The solution was clear: he needed to modernize the North Pole workshop by tapping into the digital transformation that included automation and edge AI for his toy factory. However, this wasn’t as simple as bringing in new equipment or hiring more elves. Any upgrade would need to withstand harsh Arctic conditions while delivering the power, precision, and reliability required to streamline Santa’s workshop transformation with the latest technology.
Challenge 1 – Automated Toy Assembly
Santa’s workshop faced complex toy assembly challenges that required an advanced level of precision, speed, and real-time monitoring to keep up with growing global demand.
Santa’s workshop faced three primary challenges in modernizing its assembly line: maintaining precision in toy production, ensuring high-quality inspection standards, and achieving seamless data flow between elves and machines.
Challenge 2 – Logistics
As global toy demand surged, Santa's Workshop faced the challenge of managing efficient and seamless logistics across an increasingly complex production floor. With thousands of toys and materials moving continuously between assembly lines, storage areas, and packing stations, traditional manual transport methods were slowing down production and creating bottlenecks. Santa’s workshop needed a robust and automated logistics solution to streamline the movement of materials and toys across his expanding production floor.
Challenge 3 – Workshop Safety
Santa’s bustling workshop demanded advanced safety measures to protect both operations and personnel, ensuring smooth production during the critical holiday season. With the North Pole’s harsh environment posing unique challenges, maintaining consistent power for 24/7 operations was essential. Unplanned power outages or fluctuations risked not only halting production but also corrupting vital data. Additionally, securing the workshop with real-time surveillance systems was crucial to prevent unauthorized access and ensure worker safety. By implementing solutions designed for mission-critical edge environments, Santa's workshop could safeguard operational stability, maintain peak efficiency, and protect the holiday magic.
Challenge 4 – Command Center
Santa’s workshop required a centralized command center to handle all the real-time data and connectivity from equipment operations. It was crucial to equip the workshop with IoT–enabled devices paired with a private 5G network to ensure high-speed, low-latency communication across the entire factory. This ensures a command center that allows Santa to track production metrics, diagnose system errors, and adjust logistics all in real-time. The workshop’s offsite location in the North Pole required a Private 5G network with its own spectrum band.
The Solution
Santa understood that his factory operations needed an upgrade, however, the question was how. Modernizing a magical workshop was no small task. His initial attempts at using general-purpose computing technology failed, as the workshop’s cold and often harsh environment quickly caused consumer-grade computers to fail, creating detrimental downtime during peak production hours. Through this realization, Santa quickly understood he needed to learn exactly what solutions could provide the necessary reliability and performance to operate in his remote location.
Santa's search for industrial-grade computing solutions led him to Premio’s Rugged Edge Webinar Series, where he learned about key benefits of how edge computing can enable Industry 4.0 technologies that could meet the reliability and performance needs of his unique environment. Through the on-demand webinars from Premio, Santa gained valuable insights into key technologies that enabled him to upgrade and modernize his factory workshop with solutions that were purpose-built for edge deployment.
Santa quickly picked up the key trends and points that revolved around the edge computing world, and how rugged edge computers are designed, and ultimately transformed his workshop with Premio’s Rugged edge computing portfolio.
After a thorough consultation with Premio’s experts, Santa devised a plan to use Premio’s rugged edge computing solutions to transform his toy factory in the North Pole using automation and Edge AI. The proposed plan would not only bring advanced computing automation to the North Pole but would also be durable enough to withstand the workshop’s environmental conditions. These updates would mark a new era for Santa’s operations—introducing modern technology while preserving the workshop’s magic to ultimately meet his once-a-year holiday deadline for millions and millions of toys.
Solution 1
Smart Robotics: AI-Powered Precision for Toy Assembly
The first key pain point that Premio helped solve was the key challenge in modernizing the workshop process. Santa and his workshop would require speed and precision in their toy assembly that would not sacrifice the handcrafted quality he and his elves were famously known for.
A fleet of robotic arms that could manage intricate, real-time tasks required for toy assembly was deployed into a new assembly line. The x86 super-rugged RCO-6000-RPL and x86 semi-rugged BCO-6000-RPL were selected as the computing solutions to power intelligent robotic arms utilizing machine vision and object detection to manufacture toys. The computers became the cornerstone for the AI-powered assembly line that was designed to perform specific, delicate tasks in the toy-making process.
Powered by Intel 13th Generation CPUs, the RCO-6000-RPL enabled the robotic assembly line to function with superior precision. Additionally, the RCO-6000-RPL was retrofitted with its unique EDGEBoost Node technology to integrate GPUs. Through GPU integration, these robotic arms performed high-speed movements, crafting toys in record time and allowing the elves to focus on creative design and quality assurance.
EDGEBoost I/O Technology was another essential upgrade that Premio provided for the RCO-6000-RPL, allowing Santa’s robotic arms to operate with unparalleled flexibility and expandability. Through this modular I/O technology, the RCO-6000-RPL could incorporate additional specialized I/O modules to meet the unique I/O requirements of the toy production process. This included support for high-speed USB, ethernet, and legacy serial ports to connect with real-time IoT devices and sensors, all crucial for Santa's AI-driven robotic line.
To complement the larger RCO-6000-RPL units, the x86 semi-rugged BCO-6000-RPL provided a compact yet powerful solution for the smaller toy assembly lines. Its slim design allowed it to be seamlessly embedded within space-constrained areas of the workshop, where it could power intricate tasks without taking up valuable floor space. With its industrial-grade design and ability to integrate a GPU, the BCO-6000-RPL was perfect for performing repetitive, precise movements that required both speed and accuracy.
Solution 2
Machine Vision: Metrology and Quality Inspection
Facing the increase in demand for toys also came with the increased demand for quality assurance. His elves simply could not build and inspect all the toys to ensure that there were no issues. Santa needed a faster, more accurate way to inspect all toys being produced without compromising his workforce.
Premio’s VCO-6000 Series Machine Vision Computer was brought in to revolutionize quality control and robotic automation for defect detection. Integrated with high-resolution vision cameras, this solution powers robotics that precisely close and secure gift boxes, ensuring no presents are left open. The vision cameras also perform meticulous inspections to spot any product defects, guaranteeing each gift meets Santa’s world-class quality standards. The integration of GPU capability within the VCO is essential for handling the high-volume image processing required in Santa's workshop, allowing real-time analysis of vision data for fast, accurate robotic arm movements and efficient quality inspections. This enables precise and consistent operations, especially when inspecting and closing each gift box at high speeds. With real-time visual processing, the VCO aids in flawless package assembly and verification, keeping Santa’s workshop running smoothly with top-notch accuracy.
- 12th/13th Gen Intel Core Processors with R680E PCH (35W TDP)
- Blazing-Fast DDR5 with ECC Memory Support
- PCIe Gen 4 Expansion
- Hot-swappable NVMe Storage Bays
- FHFL (Full-Height, Full-Length) GPU Supported
- Dual-GPU Configurations
Solution 3
Enabling EMI (Elf – Machine – Interface) Automation for Real-Time Data Insights with SCADA
Santa successfully introduced Elf Machine Interface (EMI) automation, delivering real-time data insights throughout his entire North Pole workshop. It became a model of efficiency with Premio’s EMI solutions tailored for different application uses for real-time data insights with SCADA systems. Santa’s workshop strived to increase automation, real-time data processing, and seamless control and monitoring with SCADA systems. The EMIs process, analyze and visualize the data for the elves to enable quick decision-making and operational adjustments, all in real-time. This ability allows the workshop to streamline process control and data management by:
- Control processes both in the North Pole Factory and remotely for multiple locations
- Collect, analyze, and display real-time data with EMIs
- Gain insights into industrial sensor equipment for real-time awareness
- Collect and program data for event trippers, data analysis, and the December 26th Status Report
Industrial Panel PC Specifications
 Stainless Steel SIO Series |
Rugged Modular VIO Series
|
All In One AIO Series
|
 Open Frame HIO Series |
|
| Workshop Use Case | Areas needing daily washdowns for toy production sanitation | Used in Elf control rooms to manage critical workflows | Mounted across factory floor for easy setup & management | Integrated into automated machinery for smooth EMI |
| Ruggedness | Super-Rugged | Rugged | Semi-Rugged | Durable |
| IP Rating | Full IP66/69K Rated | Front IP65 Rated | Front IP65 Rated | Front IP65 Rated |
| Design | Rugged Stainless-Steel Design | Modular Flexible Design | All In One Simple Design | Industrial Open Frame Design |
| Screen Size Range | 12.1" to 23.8" | 12.1" to 23.8" | 10.1" - 15.6" - 21.5" | 10.1" - 15.6" - 21.5" |
| Touch Options | PCAP | PCAP and Resistive | PCAP | PCAP |
| Optical Bonding Enhancement | Standard | Optional | - | - |
| Mounting Options | VESA Mount Yoke Mount Panel Mount |
VESA Mount Panel Mount |
VESA Mount Panel Mount |
Open Frame Wall Mount |
| Processor | • Intel® Celeron® Processor • Intel® Core™ i5-8365ue Processor |
• Intel® Celeron® Processor • 7th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor |
• 12th Gen Intel® Processor | • 12th Gen Intel® Processor |
| Wireless Connectivity | • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth • Cellular Connectivity |
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth • Cellular 5G Connectivity |
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth • Cellular 5G Connectivity (AIO-200-ADL-3L) |
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Shock & Vibration | 20G & 2.4Grms | 20G & 1.5Grms | 50G & 5Grms MIL-STD-810G Method 516.7 Procedure |
50G & 5Grms MIL-STD-810G Method 516.7 Procedure |
| Certifications | CE, FCC | CE, FCC, UL listed | CE, FCC, UL listed | CE, FCC |
| See SIO Series | See VIO Series | See AIO Series | See HIO Series |
Together, these HMI solutions have enabled Santa to implement EMI (Elf Machine Interface) automation across his workshop, empowering his team with real-time data insights, streamlined operations, and the agility to adapt swiftly to production demands. This advanced setup ensures his elves stay efficient and connected.
Solution 4
Empowering Factory Floor Logistics with AGV & AMR
Before automation, Santa’s elves were also responsible for much of the physical labor around the workshop – moving materials, organizing completed toys, and preparing them for the big day. The whole manual production process created a huge burden for elves as they had to work overtime to manufacture, pick & pack, and transport.
Premio introduced the JCO-6000-ORN High-Performance AI Edge Computer to empower factory floor automation. The NVIDIA Jetson powered computers were deployed in various AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicle) and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), automating picking & packing as well as route planning for toy transport across the facility.
With advanced I/O options such as high-speed USB3 locking ports, GMSL Fakra connectors, and PoE/ GigE, the JCO-6000-ORN was able to connect to various sensors such as cameras in the AGV/AMR for Edge AI inference detection and analysis. Powered by the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin module, these mobile robots could make AI-based decisions on the spot, detecting obstacles, mapping the most efficient paths, and adapting to dynamic changes in the workshop environment. With the JCO-6000-ORN empowering the AGVs/AMRs for real-time Edge AI performance, toys were now transported safely and efficiently, reducing the elves' workload significantly and boosting overall productivity. With AGVs/AMRs working side-by-side with the elves, this major technology upgrade allowed the elves to use their magic on building toys rather than wasting their energy on transporting toys all throughout the factory floor. This automated logistics system allowed Santa to focus on what really mattered—ensuring every child’s toy was made, packed, and ready for delivery.
Solution 5
Security & Surveillance AI Edge Computers for Workshop Safety
Ensuring the security and integrity of Santa’s workshop is paramount for timely and flawless toy delivery. To prevent any issues such as missing parts, theft, or damage to toys, Santa needed a comprehensive security solution.
With the investment in security & surveillance increasing every year, Premio recommended its JCO series for real-time video analytics and improved protection.
Equipped with extensive I/O options, including USB3, GigE/PoE, and GMSL Fakra connectors, the JCO Series easily supports high-speed vision cameras and sensors to monitor the entire workshop. Integrated NVIDIA Jetson Orin modules provide between 20 and 275 TOPS of AI processing power, enabling real-time AI inference for advanced video analytics. This empowers Santa’s security system with intelligent capabilities, such as real-time threat detection, intrusion alerts, alarm triggering, and emergency dispatch.
Additionally, the OOB remote management module in the JCO series helps deliver 24/7 monitoring and management features, allowing Santa to monitor and troubleshoot remotely, saving time and money for on-site technical support.
With the advanced features of the JCO series, security and surveillance at Santa’s workshop have never been better. Now, Santa can enjoy peace of mind, knowing his trusted elves and toys are safe and secure— knowing his workshop is protected and his inventory is secure.
Solution 6
Power Protection/Redundancy with Supercapacitor Backup
With all the newly integrated systems in place in Santa’s workshop, a final priority was also making sure that the solutions can stay in operation when it mattered the most for mission critical 24/7 operations.
Effective power management is critical in the harsh North Pole environment, especially in Santa’s workshop, where operations must remain uninterrupted around the clock. Power fluctuations, shortages, and unexpected shutdowns can lead to data loss, production downtime, and even damage to essential equipment, threatening the entire Christmas operation. To address this, Santa’s workshop required a highly reliable solution for power redundancy and protection.
Premio’s ECO-1000 Supercapacitor UPS stands out as a robust solution for Industry 4.0 environments like Santa’s workshop. With high power density, a long lifecycle, and exceptional operational efficiency, it’s designed to deliver reliable power redundancy for all the upgraded edge computing solutions on the factory floor. Unlike traditional battery-based systems, the ECO-1000 Series also emphasizes environmental sustainability, which is crucial for minimizing ecological impact in the North Pole.
The ECO-1000 supercapacitor technology provides a consistent 12V or 24V power supply and features both normal and quick charge modes for efficient energy replenishment. In the event of an unexpected power loss, it activates one of three intelligent shutdown modes to safely preserve critical data, protecting Santa’s valuable operations from interruptions. With the ECO-1000 Supercapacitor, Santa’s workshop can now maintain continuous operation in a secure and reliable environment, ensuring all systems run smoothly.
Solution 7
IoT Gateways Factory Floor Data Acquisition and Telemetry for Dashboard Management
To keep Santa’s workshop running efficiently and seamlessly, IoT connectivity became essential. With toy production increasing each year, Santa needed a proper method to monitor operations smoothly. Premio provided its fanless mini computers as a solution to connect, monitor, and manage Santa’s fleet of automation equipment from AGVs/AMRs to his robotics arms. The RCO-1000-EHL and BCO-1000-ADLN were selected as the prime candidates for a low power industrial computer which was implemented as IoT gateways across his entire workshop.
The compact, yet powerful super-rugged RCO-1000-EHL and semi-rugged BCO-1000-ADLN series provided the ideal solution for real-time data collection and connectivity. Acting as smart IoT hubs, these gateways connected the workshop’s AI-driven robotic arms, assembly lines, and quality control systems, relaying data back to Santa’s central command in the cloud for IoT data management. Equipped with latest power-efficient processors from Intel, the fanless mini computing gateways helped process and transmit data from every machine on the floor, allowing Santa and his team to monitor performance, detect any potential issues, and adjust production strategies in real-time. Both the RCO-1000 and the BCO-1000 are also certified by AWS IoT Greengrass, providing Santa’s workshop with trusted and seamless IoT data management. This certification allows the computers to manage IoT data locally and securely integrate with the cloud.
With these gateways in place, Santa had a constant overview of every operation in the workshop. The compact and industrial-grade design ensures uninterrupted performance within the workshop, while its low-power efficiency reduces energy consumption across the facility.
Solution 8
Private 5G Wireless Connectivity in the North Pole
Given the extreme remoteness of the North Pole, Santa’s workshop relied on a Private 5G network to provide high speed connectivity to all of Premio’s 5G enabled computing solutions. The private 5G network provided secure, high-speed data transfer for real-time monitoring and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications across the entire facility. This ensures that all edge computing devices on the factory floor can operate at optimal efficiency, handling data-heavy tasks with low latency to keep up with holiday demand.
The Benefits
With Premio’s product portfolio of Edge AI Computers and Touchscreen Panel PCs, Santa’s factory achieved a complete digital transformation for his toy factory operations. The Edge AI systems optimized workflows by predicting maintenance needs and automating quality control in the gift-wrapping department. It also minimized downtime during peak production and entered Santa’s workshop in a new era of efficiency. Premio’s Edge AI and Machine Vision Solutions gave Elves advanced processing power with real-time, on-device AI for robotics, image processing, vision capabilities, and predictive maintenance. Touchscreen Computers provided the elves with a durable EMI (Elf Machine Interface) for monitoring processes in real-time, even in extreme environments in the factory. Lastly, the supercapacitor technology solution allowed the North Pole to stay powered through any outages which allowed critical systems running even in extreme polar conditions. Together, these transformative technologies enhanced efficiency, streamlined communication, and ensured fast, error-free gift production, allowing Santa and his elves to focus on creative tasks while meeting Christmas deadlines with ease.
With Premio’s solutions in place, Santa now has the tools to maintain a stress-free, magical operation, ensuring children worldwide experience the joy of a perfectly crafted gift on Christmas morning.