A framework for smart production-logistics systems based on CPS and industrial IoT

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has received increasing attention from both academia and industry. However, several challenges including excessively long waiting time and a serious waste of energy still exist in the IIoT-based integration between production and logistics in job shops. To address these challenges, a framework depicting the mechanism and methodology of smart production-logistics systems is proposed to implement intelligent modeling of key manufacturing resources and investigate self-organizing configuration mechanisms. A data-driven model based on analytical target cascading is developed to implement the self-organizing configuration. A case study based on a Chinese engine manufacturer is presented to validate the feasibility and evaluate the performance of the proposed framework and the developed method. The results show that the manufacturing time and the energy consumption are reduced and the computing time is reasonable. This paper potentially enables manufacturers to deploy IIoT-based applications and improve the efficiency of production-logistics systems

Design and Empirical Validation of a Bluetooth 5 Fog Computing Based Industrial CPS Architecture for Intelligent Industry 4.0 Shipyard Workshops

[Abstract] Navantia, one of largest European shipbuilders, is creating a fog computing based Industrial Cyber-Physical System (ICPS) for monitoring in real-time its pipe workshops in order to track pipes and keep their traceability. The deployment of the ICPS is a unique industrial challenge in terms of communications, since in a pipe workshop there is a significant number of metallic objects with heterogeneous typologies. There are multiple technologies that can be used to track pipes, but this article focuses on Bluetooth 5, which is a relatively new technology that represents a cost-effective solution to cope with harsh environments, since it has been significantly enhanced in terms of low power consumption, range, speed and broadcasting capacity. Thus, it is proposed a Bluetooth 5 fog computing based ICPS architecture that is designed to support physically-distributed and low-latency Industry 4.0 applications that off-load network traffic and computational resources from the cloud. In order to validate the proposed ICPS design, one of the Navantia’s pipe workshops was modeled through an in-house developed 3D-ray launching radio planning simulator that allows for estimating the coverage provided by the deployed Bluetooth 5 fog computing nodes and Bluetooth 5 tags. The experiments described in this article show that the radio propagation results obtained by the simulation tool are really close to the ones obtained through empirical measurements. As a consequence, the simulation tool is able to reduce ICPS design and deployment time and provide guidelines to future developers when deploying Bluetooth 5 fog computing nodes and tags in complex industrial scenarios.Auto-ID for Intelligent Products research line of the Navantia-UDC Joint Research Unit (Grant Number: IN853B-2018/02) 10.13039/100014440-Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci??n y Universidades (Grant Number: RTI2018-095499-B-C31

The Utilization of Building Information Modeling in Computer-Controlled Automatic Construction: Case Study of a Six-Room Wooden House

In the current context, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is belatedly providing the construction industry with a tool to reach higher levels of efficiency, quality and convenience. However, human errors in both management and construction job site control may cause a construction project to go over budget or behind schedule. Lastly, a construction project requires the collaboration of various parties to achieve the end goals of the various stakeholders. BIM provides one method of integrating the whole process of sharing information between those parties. Extensions to the current BIM methods may allow machines, such as construction robots to take over some of the human tasks. The aim of this study is to study future methods to reduce the human effort in construction and to improve the cost efficiency and quality for construction projects. In this thesis to look to integrate the construction processes of design, manufacture, shipment and installation and using data extracted from a BIM model, a conceptual computer-controlled, automatic construction process is developed for a pseudo robot. The pseudo robot is merely a development tool to look at the development of the conceptual phases for a real robot. Meanwhile, following the Plan-Do-Check-Action (PDCA) management cycle, the workflow of the process is designed in pseudocode. A case study of a six-room wooden house is used to illustrate the function of the automatic construction system and to verify that which information can be provided by BIM. Location control is identified in the study as the key criterion for attempting robotic construction. An object positioning solution of using a laser technique is suggested from this research. The results show that the program provides adequate information to allow the completion of the construction process. A two-level method is developed for accurate positioning of building components. Further research may focus on more complicated and special projects, more effective and accurate sensing and tracking technology

Dronevision: An Experimental 3D Testbed for Flying Light Specks

Today's robotic laboratories for drones are housed in a large room. At times, they are the size of a warehouse. These spaces are typically equipped with permanent devices to localize the drones, e.g., Vicon Infrared cameras. Significant time is invested to fine-tune the localization apparatus to compute and control the position of the drones. One may use these laboratories to develop a 3D multimedia system with miniature sized drones configured with light sources. As an alternative, this brave new idea paper envisions shrinking these room-sized laboratories to the size of a cube or cuboid that sits on a desk and costs less than 10K dollars. The resulting Dronevision (DV) will be the size of a 1990s Television. In addition to light sources, its Flying Light Specks (FLSs) will be network-enabled drones with storage and processing capability to implement decentralized algorithms. The DV will include a localization technique to expedite development of 3D displays. It will act as a haptic interface for a user to interact with and manipulate the 3D virtual illuminations. It will empower an experimenter to design, implement, test, debug, and maintain software and hardware that realize novel algorithms in the comfort of their office without having to reserve a laboratory. In addition to enhancing productivity, it will improve safety of the experimenter by minimizing the likelihood of accidents. This paper introduces the concept of a DV, the research agenda one may pursue using this device, and our plans to realize one

An Effective Development and Analysis of a Mobile Robot

This paper deals with the design of a battery operated Mobile Robot and development of various modes of its control. The Mobile Robot can be operated in three different modes, namely Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF), Radio Frequency (RF) and ZigBee thereby enabling a multi- dimensional control system. The Mobile Robot is a single seated carrier. It can also be used to transport substantial amount of physical load for short distances. It is a prototype of a multi-use robot having a wide range of applicability according to the requirement after suitable modifications. Thus it can be easily applied inside a hospital to carry patients, as a wheel chair for physically challenged people, to carry goods in large shopping malls, as golf cars, can also be used for industrial purposes with adequate modifications. It can also be used as cleaning machine at railway stations, airports, museums, large halls. It uses a DC power source and not any conventional energy sources. Hence it is ecofriendly and this Mobile Robot can be termed as an advancing step in the field of battery operated vehicles