Smart Industry
German experts have developed a concept to stay ahead of Asia in means of efficiency and productivity for the western industry. This concept is called Industry 4.0. All kind of professionals are using this term nowadays claiming their products and solutions are Industry 4.0. They wish...
Industry 4.0 is a much larger concept than just providing maintenance data or putting traditional paperwork into a tablet application. Actually it is simply "the internet of things"-concept applied to the industry. Standardized digital workflows, preventive maintenance and new ways of data acquisition are merely essential components of the bigger concept.
I think applying Industry 4.0 on factories is really cool. We'll get smart factories. Truly factories with a mind of its own. Thinking, reasoning and performing actions using artificial intelligence. I know it sounds like the "cloud computing"-concept, like it is a fancy word to sell stuff at a higher price to do the same thing we did before. Since "thinking" can be done by a DCS or PLC using sensors in the field. "Reasoning" is done using statistics and rules to determine and "perform actions", like: If sensor A0 has value equal to 1 then actuate the motor. That's exactly what we do with a PLC, right?
Well first check out this video, than we will talk about the "true" contribution of this concept.
Industry 4.0 is a much larger concept than just providing maintenance data or putting traditional paperwork into a tablet application. Actually it is simply "the internet of things"-concept applied to the industry. Standardized digital workflows, preventive maintenance and new ways of data acquisition are merely essential components of the bigger concept.
I think applying Industry 4.0 on factories is really cool. We'll get smart factories. Truly factories with a mind of its own. Thinking, reasoning and performing actions using artificial intelligence. I know it sounds like the "cloud computing"-concept, like it is a fancy word to sell stuff at a higher price to do the same thing we did before. Since "thinking" can be done by a DCS or PLC using sensors in the field. "Reasoning" is done using statistics and rules to determine and "perform actions", like: If sensor A0 has value equal to 1 then actuate the motor. That's exactly what we do with a PLC, right?
Well first check out this video, than we will talk about the "true" contribution of this concept.
Alright, let's see if you've paid attention. Did you see the Templar Cross at 3:30. I guess not all conspiracy theories are just paranoid fantasies! And did you noticed a 4:10 the guy bashing the user interface? I would call that poor interaction design. Last thing, did you see the woman at 5:45 wearing a prototype of this?
The "true" contribution of this concept is mostly in the way we operate with factories. One factory able to create a batch of products of the same type and composition will be replaced by one factory able to handle several product types and compositions created the same batch. Also the way the factory is operated is based way more on preventive maintenance, and the factory adapting to your requirements instead of the other way around.
Augmented reality
When I watch the video above I almost start to cry. I'll tell you why. The user interface and way the information is provided is just as we do today... and 30 years ago. Ugly "SCADA" interfaces having a hard learning curve, extreme amounts of data, mobile phones to "do" things and a wrist computer weighting at least 200 grams. Actually I think the last one is better than a mobile phone. A phone should be used to communicate with people and navigation, not to work with.
What augmented reality has to offer
Augmented reality can be used to provide information needed to do the job, in the most natural way. Not all data, just the information you really need, just by looking at it!
People are provided with information:
An operator should see process flow data when operating valves.
A service engineer should see maintenance information.
A manager should see the statistical information about the process.
The factory assists the people:
When a component is about to break within 2 weeks, the engineer is given a warning to replace the component.
If a resource is about to deplete, the operator is given the task to refill the resource.
Can the factory perform more efficient seen the requirements, the manager is informed.
Especially for the part of monitoring, providing information and task assistance, augmented reality is the solution.
Think about it. Technology not doing your job, but help you doing your job. Here is a video about the way BMW sees task assisting augmented reality applications, for example.
What augmented reality has to offer
Augmented reality can be used to provide information needed to do the job, in the most natural way. Not all data, just the information you really need, just by looking at it!
People are provided with information:
An operator should see process flow data when operating valves.
A service engineer should see maintenance information.
A manager should see the statistical information about the process.
The factory assists the people:
When a component is about to break within 2 weeks, the engineer is given a warning to replace the component.
If a resource is about to deplete, the operator is given the task to refill the resource.
Can the factory perform more efficient seen the requirements, the manager is informed.
Especially for the part of monitoring, providing information and task assistance, augmented reality is the solution.
Think about it. Technology not doing your job, but help you doing your job. Here is a video about the way BMW sees task assisting augmented reality applications, for example.