Enabling Communication Technologies for Automated Unmanned Vehicles in Industry 4.0

Within the context of Industry 4.0, mobile robot systems such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are one of the major areas challenging current communication and localization technologies. Due to stringent requirements on latency and reliability, several of the existing solutions are not capable of meeting the performance required by industrial automation applications. Additionally, the disparity in types and applications of unmanned vehicle (UV) calls for more flexible communication technologies in order to address their specific requirements. In this paper, we propose several use cases for UVs within the context of Industry 4.0 and consider their respective requirements. We also identify wireless technologies that support the deployment of UVs as envisioned in Industry 4.0 scenarios.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, 1 tabl

Attribute Identification and Predictive Customisation Using Fuzzy Clustering and Genetic Search for Industry 4.0 Environments

Today´s factory involves more services and customisation. A paradigm shift is towards “Industry 4.0” (i4) aiming at realising mass customisation at a mass production cost. However, there is a lack of tools for customer informatics. This paper addresses this issue and develops a predictive analytics framework integrating big data analysis and business informatics, using Computational Intelligence (CI). In particular, a fuzzy c-means is used for pattern recognition, as well as managing relevant big data for feeding potential customer needs and wants for improved productivity at the design stage for customised mass production. The selection of patterns from big data is performed using a genetic algorithm with fuzzy c-means, which helps with clustering and selection of optimal attributes. The case study shows that fuzzy c-means are able to assign new clusters with growing knowledge of customer needs and wants. The dataset has three types of entities: specification of various characteristics, assigned insurance risk rating, and normalised losses in use compared with other cars. The fuzzy c-means tool offers a number of features suitable for smart designs for an i4 environment

Intelligent products: the grace experience

Product intelligence is a new industrial manufacturing control paradigm aligned with the context of cyber-physical systems and addressing the current requirements of flexibility, reconfigurability and responsiveness. This paradigm introduces benefits in terms of improvement of the entire product׳s life-cycle, and particularly the product quality and customization, aiming the customer satisfaction. This paper presents an implementation of a system of intelligent products, developed under the scope of the GRACE project, where an agent-based solution was deployed in a factory plant producing laundry washing machines. The achieved results show an increase of the production and energy efficiency, an increase of the product quality and customization, as well as a reduction of the scrap costs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The crustal dynamics intelligent user interface anthology

The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) has initiated an Intelligent Data Management (IDM) research effort which has, as one of its components, the development of an Intelligent User Interface (IUI). The intent of the IUI is to develop a friendly and intelligent user interface service based on expert systems and natural language processing technologies. The purpose of such a service is to support the large number of potential scientific and engineering users that have need of space and land-related research and technical data, but have little or no experience in query languages or understanding of the information content or architecture of the databases of interest. This document presents the design concepts, development approach and evaluation of the performance of a prototype IUI system for the Crustal Dynamics Project Database, which was developed using a microcomputer-based expert system tool (M. 1), the natural language query processor THEMIS, and the graphics software system GSS. The IUI design is based on a multiple view representation of a database from both the user and database perspective, with intelligent processes to translate between the views

Study and Prospects: Adaptive Planning and Control of Supply Chain in One-of-a-kind Production

Based on the research project titled “Adaptive Planning and Control of Supply Chain in One-of-a-kind Production”, the research group performed a systematic review of supply chain integration, risk prediction and control and trace ability. Studies of a computer-aided and integrated production system for cost-effective OKP systemare included. Our efforts relevant to integration of supply chain in OKP, modeling &control of ripple effects in OKP supply chain and the trace ability of the OKP supply chain are introduced in this paper

Impacts of the implementation of Industry´s 4.0 technologies in the portuguese footwear industry

The first three industrial revolutions came about as a result of mechanization, electricity and IT. It is safe to state that a fourth revolution is currently taking place in manufacturing, with it being generally branded as Industry 4.0. These Cyber-Physical Systems comprise smart machines, storage systems and production facilities capable of autonomously exchanging information, triggering actions and controlling each other independently. The present investigation takes this premise into account and focuses in pursuing what are the main implications of the implementation of Industry´s 4.0 technologies in the Portuguese Footwear Industry. In order to lay the foundations for the study, an extensive literature review was executed. This was followed by a qualitative and exploratory investigation, based on twelve interviews with various relevant actors of the Portuguese footwear scene. The interviews resulted in insightful conclusions. Firstly, it is possible to notice that the Portuguese Footwear industry is generally well equipped and informed. Generally, the manufacturers are aware of the new technologies that are made available, being that there are already successful examples of companies using them. The study has highlighted the importance for companies to develop an extensive evaluation regarding their specific needs in order to better decide in which technologies to invest. The path is being designed in order to continuously simplify technologies, so that they are easier to work with. The main constraint, to the present day, is linked with finding skilled workforce to perform tasks at the shop floor level and also with the generation of enough value that allows the manufacturers to invest in more advanced technology