WSN based intelligent cold chain management

This paper presents a cold chain monitoring system which is implemented by using ubiquitous computing technologies, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) & Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). In this paper, we discuss how cold supply chain works and how we can monitor and control cold supply chain by using wireless tracking and sensing technologies. We propose a prototype design which will provide a well controlled and transparent cold chain system, which could help the users to manage their products’ environmental data in real time during the life cycle. Moreover, we highlight how the availability of product trace data in combination with historical condition-monitoring data can facilitate decision-making processes enhancing supply chain’s performance. Finally we discuss the integration works of these two technologies together in the cold supply chain management system. Hardware and software platform of WSN used in this system are also described in this paper

Discrete event simulation and virtual reality use in industry: new opportunities and future trends

This paper reviews the area of combined discrete event simulation (DES) and virtual reality (VR) use within industry. While establishing a state of the art for progress in this area, this paper makes the case for VR DES as the vehicle of choice for complex data analysis through interactive simulation models, highlighting both its advantages and current limitations. This paper reviews active research topics such as VR and DES real-time integration, communication protocols, system design considerations, model validation, and applications of VR and DES. While summarizing future research directions for this technology combination, the case is made for smart factory adoption of VR DES as a new platform for scenario testing and decision making. It is put that in order for VR DES to fully meet the visualization requirements of both Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet visions of digital manufacturing, further research is required in the areas of lower latency image processing, DES delivery as a service, gesture recognition for VR DES interaction, and linkage of DES to real-time data streams and Big Data sets

Literature review on the ‘Smart Factory’ concept using bibliometric tools

The objective of this paper is to depict a landscape of the scientific literature on the concept of the ‘Smart Factory’, which in recent years is gaining more and more attention from academics and practitioners because of significant innovations in the production systems within the manufacturing sector. To achieve this objective, a dynamic methodology called "Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA)" has been applied. This methodology combines the Systematic Literature Review approach with the analysis of bibliographic networks. The adopted methodology allows complementing traditional content-based literature reviews by extracting quantitative information from bibliographic networks to detect emerging topics, and by revealing the dynamic evolution of the scientific production of a discipline. This dynamic analysis allowed highlighting research directions and critical areas for the development of the "Smart Factory". At the same time, it offers insights on the fields on which companies, associations, politicians and technology providers need to focus in order to allow a real transition towards the implementation of large-scale Smart Factory

Digital Twin Technology: A Review of Its Applications and Prominent Challenges

Digital twin is a virtual representation of physical product that is used as benchmark to evaluate, diagnose, optimize and supervise operational performance of products before venturing into mass full production in accordance with global standard. Digital twin merges virtual and physical objects together via sensors and IoT to transmit data and keep traces of objects interactivity within present environments. In virtual model environment, digital twin permits product troubleshooting and testing to minimize rate of failure and product defects during product manufacturing to enhance effectiveness and customers’ satisfaction. Digital twin is utilized throughout product life-cycle to simulate, optimize and predict product quality before final production is financed. Digital twin is beneficial to modern digital society because attitude of modern factory workers can be boosted to improve motivation to work. Digital twin has come to stay, future product suppliers may be required to put forward digital twin of their products beforehand for virtual lab testing before making order while suppliers that fail to comply may be left over. With emergence of digital twin, virtual testing can be conducted on proposed products before finding their ways into physical marketplaces. Business sector remains most beneficiaries of digital twin to predict present and future state of physical product via digital peer analysis. Today, digital twin application can support enterprises by improving product performances, decision making and customers’ satisfactions on logistic and operational workflow. However, in this survey of digital twin research, efforts have been made to review in detail about digital twin, its impact and benefits to modern society, its architecture; security challenges and how solutions are proffered. It is believed that ICT experts, manufacturers and industries will leverage on this research to improve QoS (Quality of Service) for new and future products to take full advantage of profits on investment returns via digital twin

Industrial automation based on cyber-physical systems technologies: Prototype implementations and challenges

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) is an emergent approach that focuses on the integration of computational applications with physical devices, being designed as a network of interacting cyber and physical elements. CPS control and monitor real-world physical infrastructures and thus is starting having a high impact in industrial automation. As such design, implementation and operation of CPS and management of the resulting automation infrastructure is of key importance for the industry. In this work, an overview of key aspects of industrial CPS, their technologies and emerging directions, as well as challenges for their implementation is presented. Based on the hands-on experiences gathered from four European innovation projects over the last decade (i.e. SOCRADES, IMC-AESOP, GRACE and ARUM), a key challenges have been identified and a prioritization and timeline are pointed out with the aim to increase Technology Readiness Levels and lead to their usage in industrial automation environments.The authors would like to thank for their support the European Commission, and the partners of the EU FP6 SOCRADES (www.socrades.net), EU FP7 GRACE (www.grace-project.org), EU FP7 IMC-AESOP (www.imc-aesop.eu) and EU FP7 ARUM (www.arum-project.eu) projects, for their fruitful support and discussions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio