Digital assistants are increasing the efficiency and accuracy of everything from mining equipment to production lines, providing automated monitoring of construction sites, and even evaluating the health of levees and the probability of lighting.
A new economy is taking shape – one in which sensors unblinkingly monitor the health of machines, and machines, production lines and entire factories trade logistical information in real time. Largely invisible because it’s drivien by software and sensors, this new economy is ushering in a vast and expanding universe of services and opportunities for individuals and industries.
Smart Machines: Vast Market Potential
In a study released in May 2014, BCC Research, a market research company that specializes in tech markets, predicted that the global market for smart machines will expand to $15.3 billion by 2019, representing an average annual growth rate of 19.7 percent. In 2013 expert systems accounted for the largest share of this market. These applications include smart grids and systems that help physicians make medical decisions.
Autonomous robots currently account for the second-largest share of the market. But experts predict that they will dominate the market for smart machines in ten years, when they will account for 22.8 percent of market growth. These advanced systems are more mobile, agile, flexible, and adaptable than their predecessors, according to Andrew McWilliams, an analyst for measuring technology and sensors at BCC Research. In combination with declining costs, such improvements are making new applications possible in areas such as space research, military operations, construction, mining, consumer products , and assistance systems for people with cognitive impairments.
Automatic Movements in Mines
Consider this example: Proximity monitors, speed controllers, lane keeping assistants — these kinds of assistance systems, which are already becoming increasingly common in cars, are now also being used in mining vehicles. Mining excavators weigh more than 1,600 metric tons, and their gigantic components have a delayed response. That’s why all of their control systems have to be precisely operated with proper foresight. However, the excavators’ full potential is rarely exploited, and they could work with greater precision if their operation were fully autonomous. Of course this goal cannot be achieved overnight. “The path to fully automated movement patterns in mining must be followed step by step, and it must include initial assistance functions,” says Dr. Robert Eidenberger, an engineer for robotics and automated systems at Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) in Munich.
Construction Sites: Drones on Duty.
In Aspern near Vienna, Austria, octocopters are being used as digital mobility assistants. The drones monitor the progress of construction projects in an entire 240-hectare neighborhood on the northeastern outskirts of Vienna. This is where the Aspern Urban Lakeside district is being built. It’s a completely new city neighborhood that will set benchmarks for energy efficiency and environmental compatibility.
“For nearly three years now, we’ve been working with civilian drones within the framework of the CONSTRUCT — Construction Site Monitoring national research project, which is funded by the Austrian government,” says Claudia Windisch, Head of the Videoanalytics research group at Siemens Corporate Technology. “The drones, which film and analyze conditions at construction sites, are octocopters — small eight-propeller aircraft that weigh less than five kilograms.” The technology enables users to identify construction progress and detect any deviations from plans. But construction sites are only one of many potential applications for this technology. For example, Windisch’s team has already conducted numerous drone flights through factory halls, where actual conditions often deviate from the original construction plans because of modernization measures.
A Boost for Assisted Living
Digital assistants are changing people’s relationship to technology, which is becoming a supportive partner in daily life. For example, as part of the EU-funded project DALi, Siemens researchers are developing a high-tech walker that safely guides people with cognitive impairments through public buildings.
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