Industry 4.0 is an evident turning point for all industries in common. Most people who are not tech-savvy would often find this transition confusing and undermine themselves to be old-fashioned. Bridging this knowledge gap takes patience and time. But surprisingly, understanding it and acquiring these technologies are effortless to those who try. Many countries are now rapidly transforming along with modernization. For instance, Singapore has amusingly manifested Industry 4.0 in most of its Commercial, Scientific, Healthcare and Educational sectors. The Singapore government and private sector are initiating programs to spread awareness of the advantages of Industry 4.0 technologies introduced in this modern nation-wide upgrade.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore launches model factories, posts, informative blog articles and invites technology experts to conduct webinars intending to demonstrate and educate people about smart technologies. These technologies convert manual work-oriented cities into ultra-modern smart cities. Also, an efficient Industry 4.0 smart city would include four main features:
- Interconnection – The Internet of Things (IoT) via the internet
- Transparency of Information – IoT allows access for comprehensive information to meet operators, this is the pinnacle point of identifying space for better functionality
- Technical Assistance – Assistive technologies that allow humans in decision-making and problem-solving along with technologies such as predictive maintenance, cognitive computing and artificial intelligence (AI)
- Decentralized Decision-making – Ability to perform autonomous decisions by machines with a very little or without human interaction at all.
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
The name ‘IoT’ implies what it means better than any other explanation: it is the efficient interconnection of things (hardware, software, processes, people, etc.) via the internet for smooth data exchange. Various ecosystems that inhabit technologies from smart homes to smart nations, the Internet of Things plays a common role which is the ‘central nervous system’ in Industry 4.0 digital systems. E-commerce, Healthcare, Manufacturing industries are a few of the most facilitated fields that take the optimum use of IoT every day. It basically transforms how we live, how we work and how we play with the interconnection of autonomous devices that zoom data from one point to another in real-time. It has been deduced by IDC, an American Marketeer Consultancy agency, that the prediction for interconnected devices for the year of 2025 alone would reach almost 41.6 billion devices, and this number is substantially increasing every year.
Privacy and Cyberthreats
As fascinating as it is, the development of IoT also raises a sense of insecurity and hoists red flags on behalf of how the privacy of the users of these devices would be affected. But this transition of digital societies has been made inevitable by every minute, because of the limitless advantages that IoT offers. Therefore, reputed Software Solution Providers are working around the clock to increase the security of this transition. They introduce proactive e-protection software to barricade cyber-thieves and spontaneous cyber-attacks away from the streamline data flooding the branches of IoT.
Big Data Accumulation
The advent of IoT causes another aftereffect, it gives birth to Big Data (large volumes of Data) on a day-to-day basis. Big Data can be categorized based on the 3Vs, introduces by the tech and Industry analyst, Doug Laney:
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
IIoT refers to a similar technology to IoT but differs in the field of application, therefore a mildly ambiguous line distinguishes them. While the Internet of Things focuses on consumer usage, the Industrial Internet of Things focuses on the interconnection of components that facilitates commercial purposes. Such as technologies of manufacturing plants and supply chains and controlling in-house management systems in commercial firms.
It provides microscopic views on every minute processes in the ecosystems of industries, and broadens automated control over the network. Basically, it allows machines to supersede humans in analysing data in real time and provide a basis for humans to make more logical decisions. IIoT usually equips hi-tech precise sensors, location-oriented technologies that use sophisticated and advanced methods of controlling and analysing data. Installing this technology would often take the 3Vs (mentioned in the above table), and all other environmental, financial and technical factors of the respective investor into consideration.
Introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the picture
Here we reach the climax of our topic today. The advent of AI into IIoT. AI is generally described as the simulation of human intelligence in a machine that is prewired to mirror human thinking patterns, such as learning and problem-solving. Therefore, intertwining AI to IIoT is like connecting a brain to the central nervous system in one body. As mentioned afore in this blog article, huge chunks of data sets are being generated by IIoT. This amount of data cannot be analysed by reliable tools or by humans- unless there is an inhumanly smart person.
This is where Artificial Intelligence joins the picture. With the rapid evolution that sprouts in AI, it becomes a perfect complementary technology with a multiplier effect to be paired with IIoT. Hardware devices like smart sensors, that are sensitive to pulses, temperatures, motions etc or AI assistive instruments such as chromatographs, infrared spectrometers or Raman spectrometers can be used to unify IIoT with AI technologies. This merging mechanism will allow devices to be ‘smarter’ machines. The application installed in these devices would allow learning and decision-making capabilities at product yields in IIoT, such as, regulating controls, sending alerts, planning reminders, generative pre-scheduled reports and analytics, sorting data, eradicating repetition and many more assistive measures.Housing AI and IIoT under one roof is a solution that develops data sharing, data integration, batch and real-time analytics by probing heterogeneous big data within split seconds. This combination also provides scalable platforms that fuse multiple layers of data intelligently and in a situation-oriented manner. IIoT is upgraded with the assistance of AI intelligence:
- To make detailed and reckoning market analysis, to collect and analyse crowd data generated by IIoT to predict actions and inactions of the target market,
- Engineer personalised approaches such as cooling laboratories or storages of perishable goods that need to have constant room temperatures,
- To manage and predict inventory analytics in Warehouses, commonly used to track surpluses, shortages and shelf-life of products by equipping IoT sensors and RFID tags,
- To keep track of logistics and supply chains in planning, forecasting, scheduling, logistics network optimisation etc.
- Developing Self-Driving cars and much more.
Industry 4.0 is an exemplary transition that paves the way for people from around the world to be under one virtual roof. Everyone including you fascinatingly falls under this umbrella, don’t we? Moreover, IoT being the main connecting mesh to this transition, understanding it more and applying it to your life and your business is a smart way to foresee the truth- technological advancements are quintessential to every industry. Technology will never cease to develop because now everything is attached to the digital world, no matter where you are- home, office or car- you are also a part of IoT. E-commerce will be more complex, more competitive with the advancements of these technologies.
Therefore, think a step ahead and equip the IIoT of your business with AI to unlock smarter, more efficient and effective ways of reaching your goals, both as a business and as a person. Moreover, as discussed in this blog article, be prepared to overcome limitations of this synchronization, by equipping reliable and innovative digital solutions to get the 100% benefits from this irreplaceable luxury. Numerous software packages could assist you in installing AI technologies to the hardware of your IIoT and also to secure these procedures adequately.
To conclude, a ground-breaking complete technological transformation will manifest in our world sooner or later, it has already begun progressing even at this minute. Systematic filling of the education void between IT literates and people who are not tech savvy in our communities is of most importance now. Browser through Cerexio website to familiarize yourself with how AI technologies can boost the performance of your businesses within a blink of an eye. We hope to bring you more information on how technology can enhance your quality of life and societies at large in our next articles. Stay Updated. Think Different.
