What are the emerging Industrial Internet of Things trends in 2021?
In recent years we’ve seen the growth of IIoT. The COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 has exponentially accelerated the process of digital transformation, including the use of IoT technologies in businesses and industry. This has generated IIoT trends which will strengthen in 2021.
Let’s see what they are.
Main IIoT trends of 2021
Health & Safety
The advent of COVID-19 has shifted the focus of smart technologies to fundamental priorities such as the health and safety of workers. It is therefore reasonable to expect that in 2021 IIoT will also be put at the service of fundamental initiatives in this area, from traceability to the development of cleaning and sanitizing systems.
Furthermore, coronavirus has also transformed healthcare, both digital and remote. IoT-based connectivity will play an increasingly key role. For example, wearable devices for remote patient monitoring and other cutting-edge technologies (such as 5G) to create a more efficient and data-based healthcare experience.
More automation
Investing in industrial automation is an effective strategy to reduce the number of operators present locally in a production facility. In this way, it becomes easier to comply with rules of social distancing and prevention of contagion and, consequently, cut the risk of exposing staff to possible infections is lowered.
IIoT devices allow to do this.
Remote monitoring and operation
Another IIoT trend in 2021 is the implementation of remote and autonomous operations and monitoring. The Internet of Things meets the need for operational resilience. These technologies help keep companies running and active even when staff cannot be in the field.
Next year we will see more investments aimed at remote operations, even sophisticated ones. From remote monitoring to autonomous operational control for selected parts of a process. For example, through the use of process and performance monitoring sensors that allow access to data 24/7 and from anywhere. Thus, the decision-making process can be based on real-time data, even remotely.
Increased use of AI technologies
2021 will see greater use of artificial intelligence. Enterprises will increasingly adopt algorithms in IIoT applications to make autonomous decisions in real time. The AI models will intervene on several aspects of production: from control of the production process to maintenance, up to security, thanks to the ability of IIoT devices to detect intrusions.
This will be supported by the growing implementation of machine learning, that is unsupervised machine learning for AI. A scenario in which data related to a certain device or process is sent to the algorithm without any human intervention.
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