Imagine for a moment, living in a home where everything is connected. As soon as you wake up, your bed or pillow tells the TV to switch on, so you can watch the morning news. Meanwhile, the coffee maker goes to work, and depending on how well you slept, the machine adjusts how strong your coffee will be. When you get to the shower, the water will be set to the temperature based on how hot or cold the weather is. When you go toyour bathroom mirror, it tells you if you need to shave, and reminds you to brush your teeth. When you get to the closet, the mirror helps you pick out your outfit for the day, even knowing you’re headed to. Then, before you head out, a screen or a window on your door reminds you of the things you need to bring and sends your schedule for the day based on the data in your smart phone or tablet. Imagine also that anything can be interconnected, like a person with a heart monitor implant, a farm animal with a biochip transponder, an automobile that has built-in sensors to alert the driver when tire pressure is low or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an IP address and can be provided with the ability to transfer data over a network.
Such is the rapid advancement of our current technology in the world we live in. And these technologies are based on what we call Industry 4.0.The industry has experienced major (r)evolutions throughout its history due to technological changes. The 1st Industrial Revolution started in the 1780’s with the advent of the steam powered equipment, considered a big leap from traditional production methods during the period. The 2nd Industrial revolution came with the discovery of electricity in the 1870’s and the introduction of electrically powered machines and assembly line method of mass production of goods. Advancements in electronics and the invention of computers in the early 1960’s dominated the 3rd Industrial revolution era. Within a span of a few years, the unprecedented advancement in computing technology coupled withBy Engr. Ernesto A. Beltran the wide use of the Internet, saw the rise of the 4th industrial revolution, aptlycalled Industry 4.0. It is best understood as a new level of organization and controlover the entire value chain of the life cycle of products that is geared towards increasingly individualized customer requirements
Industry 4.0 is heavily reliant on digital technologies. At the core of Industry 4.0 is the capability for big data collection and analysis which include:
- The digitization and integration of vertical and horizontal value chains
- The digitization of products and services
- The digital business models and customer access
The Industry 4.0 Framework integrates various contributing technologies that provide the means for transforming products from virtual realities to the physical world. The basis of Industry 4.0 is the availability of all relevant information in real time by connecting all instances involved in the value chain. The ability to derive the optimal value added flow at any time from the data is vital. The connection of people, things and systems creates dynamic, self-organizing, real-time optimized value added connections within and across companies. These can be optimized according to different criteria such as costs, availability and consumption of resources (Source: Platform Industry 4.0)
Industry 4.0 has started to impact in every aspect of human life in today’s smart world. In smart home homes and buildings, we can now remotely control all of our smart appliances like refrigerators, cookware’s, televisions or any device that can be accessed thru the internet or cyberspace. Home and building security systems would require stringent measures like passwords, key cards, or retina recognition for entry or access. We buy goods and services through theInternet from virtual stores or smartretailers like Amazon, Alibaba, Lazada, etc.or even regular stores who now provide on line-selling and other services. WE book our hotel accommodations, airline tickets on line and pay for all these goods and services through virtual payment systems established by banks or third party providers like PayPal, PayMaya, AliPay etc. We track our letters, packages, even our cargoes through tracking apps in real time. We enjoy entertainment products on the go like streaming movies, sports events, and even play our virtual reality games with other players who are miles away, through our gadgets like smart phones and tablets. Smart healthcare services can be availed bypatients through the use of mobile apps,Imagine for a moment, living in a home where everything is connected. As soon as you wake up, your bed or pillow tells the TV to switch on, so you can watch the morning news. Meanwhile, the coffee maker goes to work, and depending on how well you slept, the machine adjusts how strong yourcoffee will be. When you get to the shower, the water will be set to the temperature based on how hot or cold the weather is. When you go to your bathroom mirror, it tells you if you need to shave, and reminds you to brush your teeth. When you get to the closet, the mirror helps you pick out your outfit for the day, even knowing you’re headed to. Then, before you head out, a screen or a window on your door reminds you of the things you need to bring and sends your schedule for the day based on the data in your smart phone or tablet. Imagine also that anything can be interconnected, like a person with a heart monitor implant, a farm animal with a biochip transponder, an automobile that has built-in sensors to alert the driver when tire pressure is low or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an IP address and can beprovided with the ability to transferdata over a network.
IMPACT OF INDUSTRY 4.0
Industry 4.0 has started to impact in every aspect of human life in today’s smart world. In smart home homes and buildings, we can now remotely control all of our smart appliances like refrigerators, cookware’s, televisions or any device that can be accessed thru the internet or cyberspace. Home and building security systems would require stringent measures like passwords, key cards, or retina recognition for entry or access. We buy goods and services through the Internet from virtual stores or smart retailers like Amazon, Alibaba, Lazada, etc. or even regular stores who now provide on line-selling and other services. WE book our hotel accommodations, airline tickets on line and pay for all these goods and services through virtual payment systems established by banks or third party providers like PayPal, PayMaya, AliPay etc. We track our letters, packages, even our cargoes through tracking apps in real time. We enjoy entertainment products on the go like streaming movies, sports events, and even play our virtual reality games with other players who are miles away, through our gadgets like smart phones and tablets. Smart healthcare services can be availed by patients through the use of mobile apps and the integration of healthcare data is facilitated through medical transcriptions provided by BPO companies. Smart Factories produce products through integration and automation, machine-to-machine interaction and efficient value chains that provide synchronicity and just-in-time arrival of parts and materials sourced from different parts of the world and assembled through machine-to-machine interaction to produce products efficiently. Through smart mobility, we now have driverless trains and cars, unmanned aircrafts and ships that have become important assets for military and civilian use. Smart energy utilization is now achieved through smarts grids using various combination of power supply sources using traditional sourves and renewable energy (solar. waves, hydro-electricity,bio-fuels etc.)
