Some winemakers are using sensors that monitor grapes on the vine and check soil conditions.
Machines that use sensors to relay information to each other will make the world more efficient and productive − even for wine growers
The industrial Internet is already changing the way we live and work, even as many people are still learning exactly what it is. Simply put, the industrial Internet is the meeting point between computers, which are increasingly complex and sophisticated, and the software, information and analytical data that is now accessible everywhere.
The data available is stored in servers around the world; it can be accessed via the Internet and through the cloud from any intelligent device. Both the quantity and the complexity of this information is growing all the time, which is why it's referred to as Big Data.
The industrial Internet is sometimes also referred to as the Internet of things or machine-to-machine communication (M2M). It works via sensors that are networked, transmitting real time, on-the-ground information to the cloud where it can be distributed and used wherever it's needed. Its full potential is still being realized, but it is already making an impact in many different fields:
1. Cloud-based wine
In Australia, wine making is turning from tradition to the 21st century with sensors that monitor grapes on the vine and check the soil. The data is uploaded to the cloud and sent to winemakers who analyze it to get the most out of their grapes. The sensors can detect early threats such as fungus. Australia's federal science agency has been working with the Tasmanian government and five wineries on cloud-computing winemaking for the past two years, with promising results.
2. Health watch
Athletes and fitness buffs already use wearable tech to monitor heart rates, blood pressure and breathing. Machine-to-machine communication takes this further. Wearable sensors can read glucose levels and blood pressure and send the readings to a secure online database and your doctor. Diabetics can be alerted though their cellphones if their readings are showing hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. A German company called BodyTel markets this technology in North America. And Apple has been granted a U.S. patent for an electronic wristband called (for now) iTime, which is expected to contain complex health monitoring sensors.
3. Cars and traffic
Expectations are high that driverless cars, now being tested by Google and others, will be commercially available. Meanwhile, our cars are starting to talk to the cloud. Ford is experimenting with a platform called OpenXC that sends data about the engine and other parts to developers, who look at how to improve efficiency and performance. Cities are also studying how to apply cloud-based traffic management to their street signals, so they can adjust them in real time to lighter or heavier traffic.
4. Cleaner water
Engineers at water treatment plants can use sensors to monitor quality more accurately, from the time the water is still in the lake or river all the way to your tap. Sensors throughout the system send real-time data that can provide early warnings of problems such as contaminants, spills or runoff that can affect supplies. Operators tailor the water filtering to pinpoint and correct any problems quickly, instead of estimating. Sensors can also make sure that wastewater is treated to remove contaminants before it's returned to the water supply.
5. Cloud control to Major Tom
GE has been working with NASA to enable airlines and air traffic controllers to use cloud computing to manage the skies. The technology lets the carriers and controllers share not just real-time information about where the planes are heading, but also data analysis and instant information so decisions about separating air traffic, takeoff and landing can be made more efficiently and accurately.
6. Booming productivity
When machines began replacing muscle in the industrial revolution, beginning around 1750, productivity soared. When the first Internet revolution occurred, from around 1996 to 2005, productivity rose again. But machines and networks still have much inefficiency, especially when they work in isolation from each other. Often, it is too complex to sync them to perform together. Machine-to-machine communication is changing this. The jump in productivity from this new wave revolution should be comparable to that of the first Internet revolution, and last longer.
7. Aircraft safety
The industrial Internet can cut flight delays by telling aircraft manufacturers and airlines more accurately when to service their planes. Researchers are looking at how to apply data coming from the 20,000 GE jet engines in service to predict future maintenance well ahead of time, rather than simply indicate maintenance that's due now. For some engines, the algorithms used can identify which engines need attention with 70 per cent accuracy, a full month before the maintenance is needed.
8. In the aisles
Retailers are using M2M to get information from shopping carts to tell what patterns shoppers follow in the aisles, so the managers can make it easier for people to find what they want. It also tracks sales to get products from the warehouse to store shelves more efficiently. Utilities are using it too: Before big storms cut the power, utilities can predict where to trim trees, using satellite images that combine storm prediction with information about previous power outages.
9. Environmental sustainability
The industrial Internet makes alternative energy facilities more efficient and more sustainable. For example, wind turbines can "learn" to adapt to changing weather or market conditions, tailoring their energy output to demand.
Every litre or tonne of resources goes a longer way with the Industrial Internet. Large savings can be achieved in the production of energy and in its use by industry. It's a smart way to do more with less, and more efficient use of resources will make growth more sustainable.
For more innovation insights, visit www.gereports.ca
This content was produced by The Globe and Mail's advertising department, in consultation with GE. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.