Industrial operations present a complex ecosystem generating massive amounts of data. From machine diagnostics feedback, sensors reading their environment and equipment being transported, and other factors, industrial facilities continuously produce data.
The real challenge is not merely collecting this data, the far more important goal is transforming it into usable information for making better decisions on how to improve operations.
This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet Of Things (IoT) can join together, where IoT lays the connectivity infrastructure on which AI can help analyze the data and provide invaluable insight.
IoT connects equipment and facilities to generate information while AI helps analyze it and provide valuable insights
How IoT Brings Industrial Operations Into The Digital Era
IoT lays the foundation on which operations' data can be accessed, connected, and analyzed.
Sensors can record temperature, location, equipment status, movement, usage, and other related data points directly from the machine or from its environment and connect it to where it needs to be processed and stored.
By connecting equipment, systems can always know their status, helping operations to be informed and perform better than relying solely on human inspection
AI Helps Us Do More With That Information
IoT provides the data, while AI can analyze it, detect patterns, detect irregularities, and provide valuable information to improve operations.
Predictive Maintenance Driven By AI
AI and IoT are excellent examples of solutions bridging the physical and digital worlds.
By connecting equipment and constantly getting information about their operating conditions, AI can help analyze patterns, detect irregularities, and provide valuable information to help maintenance personnel make better-informed decisions during equipment evaluation and maintenance. It is not a replacement for human expertise, but rather an information enabler for making these crucial decisions.
Better Visibility Of Assets Within Industrial Facilities
Industrial facilities are home to hundreds or even thousands of machines, vehicles, tools, materials, and other equipment. Keeping track of their location, movement patterns, and general operating environment falls under assets visibility. Having this information is crucial for maximizing operations, for knowing when equipment is moving, waiting, or if it should not be there at all. This is where RFID, GPS, BLE, UWB, and connected sensors can detect the necessary information to help AI analyze patterns and provide insights into making operations more responsive.
AIoT: The Fusion Between AI And IoT
AIoT, also referred to as Artificial Intelligence Of Things, is the fusion between AI and IoT, where the former adds cognition to the latter's connectivity. AIoT is relevant to any industry in which AI needs to interact with physical objects. Possible applications span across manufacturing, logistics, construction, mining, transportation, warehousing, and more. For those interested to learn more about AIoT and physical AI in general, this
AIoT And Physical AI overview and applications
page provides more information.
Good Intentions, Bad Execution: Don't Underestimate The Importance Of Data Quality
Sensors and AI will not automatically lead to better operations, and it is paramount to remember that the quality of data impacts the value of its analysis.
Factors such as data quality, sensor reliability and precision, connectivity and system infrastructure, system security, human-AI collaboration, data privacy, and more must be considered.
Good project management and realistic expectations will ultimately dictate whether an AIoT project will be regarded as successful.
From "More Data" To "Better Information", A Simple But Powerful AIoT Project
A good rule of thumb to initiate an AIoT project is to start from a problem. What better way than starting from the information needed to solve it?
A possible project can begin with identifying equipment conditions, asset tracking and location, detecting environmental conditions, or other relevant data.
By getting these basics, the infrastructure is set to build a better-informed industrial facility, maximizing the value of IoT data with AI's analyzing power, providing critical information when it is needed most.
Future Outlook - The Road Ahead For Industrial Operations
Artificial Intelligence and the Internet Of Things (AIoT) together provide the foundation for industrial operations to transform into better-informed and more data-driven entities. In a world where data is ubiquitous, the next crucial step is to use it effectively. IoT enables us to collect this information, while AI helps analyze it and detect patterns providing valuable insights that can improve an operation. In the future, this data is vital, not only for making decisions in the digital world but also for maximizing physical operations.
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