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    What is the Industrial Internet of Things? What are the related technologies and applications about it?

    In addition to the application of IoT in daily life, the Internet of Things has also brought many innovations and reforms to the industry, therefore, it is also called the "Industrial Internet of Things". This article will introduce how it works and combine it with related technologies in various fields.

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    What is the Industrial Internet of Things?

    The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to the Internet of Things applied in the industry. The interconnection of sensors, dashboards, equipment, and computer software are connected through the network to form a system, and it focuses on data communication, big data, and machine learning of machine-to-machine (M2M) to make the industrial operations have higher efficiency and quality, and achieve a high degree of automation.

    Important technologies related to the Industrial Internet of Things

    There are many essential technologies related to IIoT, including cloud computing, edge computing, M2M, 3D printing, big data, Internet of Things, Radio Frequency IDentification technology, and Cognitive Computing, of which the following five are the most important:

    • Cyber-Physical System (CPS): Also known as an " Intelligent System ", it is an integrated control system that combines computer computing fields, sensors, and actuators, and can be abstracted, modeled, designed, and analyzed by techniques.


    • Cloud computing: Cloud computing is a computing method based on the Internet that allows IT services and resources to be provided to various computer terminals or other devices as required. Different hosts can be used to access information in the cloud space through the network.


    Read more >> What is cloud computing? What kind of service model it is?


    • Edge computing: Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm which is to move data storage to a more practical place to make the computing process as close as possible to the data source and also reduce latency and bandwidth usage. Since IIoT is to transform the productivity, products, and services in the industry, it will have a higher requirement for edge computing and cloud computing architecture.


    • Big data analysis: The process of analyzing large and varied data sets (big data) collected by sensors to provide information for decision-making and judgment.


    Read more >> What is Big data and why you should care?


    • Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Artificial intelligence is a field in computer science. It is a smart integrator that can interact and work like a human. Machine learning is the core content of it which make the software doesn’t need to rely on human intervention or specially written and the program can accurately predict the results.


    Read more >> What is artificial intelligence? What applications and trends deserve our attention?



    Application and Industry of Industrial Internet of Things

    The Industrial Internet of Things has become very common in the manufacturing industry in recent years, mainly because the Internet of Things in the industrial field can help improve productivity, analyze, and provide solutions. Predictive maintenance is more common among the related technologies of IIoT, which can reduce the downtime caused by accidents. Compared with planned maintenance and repair, it can save a lot of maintenance or failure costs. In addition, there are many applications in different fields such as parking, transportation, product parts, and manufacturing processes. Here are some common IIoT applications for your reference:

    • Car manufacturer: IIoT is often used in vehicle production to interconnect all production, software, machines, and personnel with digital information, enabling enterprises to respond quickly when faced with changes in various standards, and even make each production process faster. It is more cost-effective, especially the customization of automobiles, which used to be individual operations. Now, people and machines are working together through IIoT to speed up the production cycle to meet the market's needs. In addition, IIoT can also identify potential problems in advance, coupled with the high security and efficiency of automation, significantly improving the competitiveness of enterprises in the market.


    • Petroleum and natural gas industry: IIoT can connect machines, equipment, sensors, and personnel, and also store and analyze a large amount of raw data stored and sent by drilling equipment and research institutions in the cloud, so that companies can gain a better response to demand, price changes, cybersecurity issues, and reduce the environmental impact.


    • Agriculture: Using IIoT during farming, sensors can collect soil and climate information, and then analyze the time of fertilization and irrigation. Some ranches even implant microchips in farmed animals to learn about the animal's ancestry, weight, health, and even location.


    • Cutting machining-related industries: In addition to car factories, cutting machining-related industries also need the assistance of the Industrial Internet of Things. Due to the changing conditions of cutting, many rely on the experience of operators to make judgments, however, it is easy to miss some benefits, and the smart tool holder is the best application example of the Industrial Internet of Things. It can collect and analyze force from all directions through sensors and also provide solutions for judgment and decision-making, which can ultimately reduce costs and improve production efficiency.


    Risks and Challenges of the Industrial Internet of Things

    IIoT has been able to change the operation mode of many industries, and the next thing companies need to face is to formulate strategies to ensure security when technology is introduced. With more and more applications of IIoT, the most important concerns are availability, expansibility, and security. For the industry, the first two concerns have existed in the industry for a long time, as long as you understand the working principle of IIoT and evaluate the needs of your own industry, you can reduce the occurrence of problems. However, security will be the biggest challenge at present. Since many companies still use old systems and processes, the introduction of new technologies may take a period of adaptation. In addition, the increase in smart devices will also lead to hidden security vulnerabilities and security responsibilities. Therefore, suppliers need to ensure that they can protect the rights and interests of consumers, and propose preventive or remedial measures, and enterprises should also conduct an evaluation of security considerations to reduce risks.

    Main image photo by Adobestock

    References: Industrial IoT / Trendmicro

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