This year was characterized by rapid changes in engineering and production technology. For example, wearables that used to only track the user's date, time, and steps can now track blood pressure, sleeping habits, and stress levels. This means that devices, including smartphones, must provide real-time data on multiple variables whenever requested to be valuable to consumers.
The demand for automation is also increasing – from automated coffee machines and home alarm systems to industrial production lines in factories and “smart” cities with automated street lighting and smart energy systems. Today's electronics design engineer must be continually updating and innovating to succeed in this competitive technology landscape. It is no longer enough to be familiar with sensors or digitalization.
The speed at which technology develops means that many engineers must also understand the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cybersecurity measures, and more. To keep up, engineers must embrace change and continually update existing skills while learning new ones.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution — a term coined by Professor Klaus Schwab and presented at the World Economic Forum in 2016 — is truly here.
Industry 4.0 and automation
Factory automation presents new possibilities and challenges in the industrial environment. It involves the use of control systems, such as robots or computers, to move processes or materials, with zero or little need for human intervention. Industrial robots can operate 24/7, performing repeatable processes.
A recent report found that automation will take over most factories and industrial production plants within the next three years. Benefits include increased productivity, typically a more accurate or higher quality product, greater safety and fewer repetitive tasks, and sometimes even shorter work weeks for workers.
Most of these systems can be greatly improved with the use of IoT and AI. For example, machine-to-machine (M2M) refers to direct communication between devices, typically using wireless communication and IoT.
While there are concerns about automation and AI reducing the availability of jobs, human-machine (H2M) interaction – where humans interact with devices and technology – is still expected to occur. Engineers will still be needed for system upgrades, reprogramming and new design processes.
Another challenge in implementing automation is the cost of such programs, which can include automated robots for production lines. Ideally, the long-term return on production offsets the initial expenses.
5G connectivity
Engineers are wise to keep up with 5G developments. According to analyst firm Gartner, 20.4 billion “coherent things” will be in global use by 2020 and fifth generation connectivity will strongly support this.
5G connectivity is expected to provide higher data rates, less latency and much faster downloads. Experts predict this will affect everything from the factory production line, improving M2M connectivity, to smart cities and the way people work, live and interact with others – and with their connected devices. Overall, 5G is more capable of handling multiple, and even thousands, of devices simultaneously.
To work efficiently and reliably, IoT requires strong sensors and fast network speeds. Essentially, 5G means that technologies that rely on IoT will be able to operate at a much faster pace. This also means that automation and VR will be able to support more features and improved user experiences.
This is because user immersion in virtual reality is essential. Any network latencies will affect the authenticity and quality of the experience.
5G is also expected to transform healthcare, for example by supporting remote patient monitoring, advanced imaging equipment (and faster transfer of large files such as X-ray or MRI results), and better diagnosis or faster from patients.
Cyber security
With advances in 5G and IoT, security should be a major concern for technology companies. Analysts have predicted that IoT will generate new security risks for businesses and consumers.
Investigating cybersecurity and learning to stay ahead of the competition before vulnerabilities turn into serious breaches is critical. This means designing systems that can proactively monitor and predict cyberattacks. One way to do this is by implementing AI and machine learning (ML) tools.
Cybersecurity engineers are also needed to program these systems and properly monitor risk and threat assessments during product development – ensuring that security is a dominant feature of every product and device.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is leading to major technological changes in terms of speed, scale and power, unlike anything previously experienced. It's important to be prepared.
