by
Mark Ollig
Should
we be concerned about having devices with digital intelligence attached to
major industrial machines, and then linking them to the Internet?
Sounds
like the making of a sci-fi movie, where all the machines connected to the
Internet develop a collective consciousness and decide they know what’s best
for the planet, and take control away from the humans.
“Accelerating
productivity growth the way that the Industrial Revolution and the Internet
Revolution did,” is the comparison used in a recent report calling for an
“Industrial Internet” by General Electric (GE) company’s Chief Economist Marco
Annunziata and its Director of Global Strategy and Analytics Peter C. Evans.
This
report has invoked interest – along with a bit of apprehension, from this
columnist.
“The
capabilities of machines are not being fully realized. The inefficiencies that
persist are now much greater at the system level, rather than at the individual
physical machine level.” This quote is taken from the 37-page report:
“Industrial Internet: Pushing the Boundaries of Minds and Machines.”
The
report works to make the case that the Internet Revolution, which began in
earnest around 1995, and brought about many breakthroughs in computing, data
storage, global Internet communications, and economic productivity, had already
lost its momentum by 2005.
Without
specifically citing, this report states how some feel the Internet Revolution
“has already played out.”
It
suggests, while businesses and the economy have benefited greatly from the
current Internet, some believe the fantastic innovations brought about by the
Internet are over.
I,
for one, do not feel the Internet has reached the end of the line for
“fantastic innovations” just yet.
The
GE report describes three separate “waves” of Industrial Internet progression.
The
first wave acknowledges the machines and factories which brought about the
Industrial Revolution, and through the production of goods and services,
changed how economies were powered.
The
Internet Revolution is the second wave.
Beginning
in the 1950s, large mainframe computers used software and information packets
to communicate with each other within a closed government network.
When
the network became open new protocols were created, allowing different
computers to send and receive information with each other.
This
second wave recognized the use of computers and their ability to circulate and
retrieve information over the Internet.
“Rather
than resource-intensive, the Internet Revolution has been information and
knowledge-intensive,” the report said.
Now,
we move to the third wave, which the GE report calls the Industrial Internet.
This
wave suggests having intelligent, digital devices connected to all the machines
used in industry, and then linking these devices to the Internet.
The
report lists industrial sectors such as: transportation, oil and gas, power
plants, industrial facilities, and medical machines.
It
also provided a lengthy list of individual machinery each sector uses, such as
generators, propulsion drives, thermal turbines, conveyors, compressors,
scanners, engines, and many more.
The
machines in each industrial sector would have an intelligent instrumentation
device attached to them.
“Widespread
instrumentation is a necessary condition for the rise of the Industrial
Internet,” the report says.
I
believe they are talking about connecting these intelligent devices on a
word-wide basis.
We
know computing power has been steadily improving because of the advancements in
microprocessor chip technology.
The
report believes these advancements “have reached a point that makes it possible
to augment physical machines with digital intelligence.”
Having
so many machines with digital intelligence connected to the Internet would
require advanced analytical software tools to manage and understand the enormous
amounts of data that would be generated by all of the intelligent devices
connected.
Who
would be managing all of the data being harvested by these intelligent devices
that are reporting on all of the machines they are connected to?
According
to the report, it will be the “decision makers.”
I’m
not the brightest bulb in the package, but being a decision maker in the
Industrial Internet era sounds like a good job to have.
The
Industrial Internet era will require advanced educational programs to be developed
for software management, diagnostics, advanced network data communications, and
more.
The
report makes it known the intelligent information gathered “can also be shared
across machines, networks, individuals or groups to facilitate intelligent collaboration
and better decision making.”
So,
these digital smart-devices controlling the machines will be communicating with
each other, too.
Maybe
I should have named this column “Rise of the Machines.” Wait, I think that was
used in the “Terminator 3” movie.
Figure
four in the report shows how an Instrumented Industrial Machine has its
information collected, processed, and shared with “the right people and
machines.”
An
Industrial Internet Data Loop graphic shows the data path and intelligence
flowing into and out of a machine’s data stream, and other shared systems, in a
circular pattern around the cloud symbolizing the Internet. The words “secure,
cloud-based network” is written on the cloud.
The
report says having an Industrial Internet will recoup hundreds of billions of
dollars which are currently wasted by inefficiencies in resources and time.
These
savings will be realized by linking “Internet-connected machines, product
diagnostics, software, and analytics.”
With
a global gross domestic product (GDP) of $70 trillion, having an Industrial
Internet would generate $32.3 trillion, states the report.
The
report says the goal is to make businesses operate more efficiently,
proactively, and predictively, and to have the machines used in industry “strategically
automated.”
The
complete report is available from the GE website at http://tinyurl.com/dxu3at8.
Prepare
to ride the third wave folks, it’s coming.
