What Is The Role Of The Internet of Things(IoT) In Industry 4.0?

Role of the Internet of Things(IoT) in Industry 4.0 : The Internet of Things is already a reality, both in everyday life and in the business environment. Thanks to the boom in the use of this technology, we are in a transition towards an industry 4.0, in which intelligent processes will be key to improving productivity and efficiency.

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things or IoT for the acronym in English, Internet of Things , is made up of a series of technologies that allow the creation of a connection between everyday objects that allows the generation of updated data . Through the use of cameras, sensors or computer programs, objects can function in an “intelligent” way.

Some of the real and current uses of the IoT could be in garage doors that open thanks to a sensor that detects the arrival of the vehicle and reads the license plate. So are light regulators that work through a Smartphone app or kitchen robots that are controlled by Wi-Fi technology.

What Is Industry 4.0?

Industry 4.0 is a concept used to define factories or companies that use machinery or devices with Internet of Things technology to monitor work autonomously.

Evolution towards industry 4.0

It has evolved over centuries, starting with industry 1.0 with the use of steam power, reaching 2.0 with electric power at the end of the 19th century and industry 3.0, in which the advance was the use of electronics and computing. Currently, we are experiencing the transition to industry 4.0 , which began in approximately 2011.

Industry 4.0 has enormous economic potential , especially in the sector of manufacturing companies . In addition, over the last few years the price of smart devices has dropped, becoming more accessible both at a business and personal level. Likewise, this situation has caused the return on investment to grow exponentially in relation to the exploitation of this type of device.

Importance of IOT in Industry 4.0

There are many advantages of implementing the Internet of Things technology in the industrial environment:

• It is possible to have visibility of the operations , being able to track what each machine produces, obtaining a history. This allows correcting errors and anticipating possible risks.
• Productivity improvement.
• Increased security in the business environment.
• Decentralized and efficiently distributed management .
• Innovation in work teams , improving staff performance.
• Get updated and advanced analytics to make smart business decisions.

Examples Of The Internet of Things In industry 4.0

Currently, many companies are already applying IoT technology to improve their processes, products or services. Some examples:

Agriculture 4.0

Thanks to different sensors, it is possible to design intelligent irrigation systems that will work according to each part or area of ​​the land that needs it. It also happens with smart crops: through the use of drones and sensors you can see the quality of the soil and know which plants will grow best in each area.

Manufactures 4.0

Through the use of new connections such as 4G or 5G, analog machinery can be connected in order to have all the updated information in a cloud. Companies can monitor the machines and know their performance, improving the processes and the quality of the production line.

Retail 4.0

An example is the shopping cart in a supermarket, which calculates the total purchase as products are added inside. With the use of cameras and sensors that detect barcodes or QR to finally give a total amount without errors.

Training in new technologies 4.0

A commitment to the future. Industry 4.0 is a not too distant future. The vast majority of corporations that want to remain active in this highly competitive market will need to adapt and use the Internet of Things to improve their processes.

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