Higher levels of automation and control through more efficient systems maximise productivity and small innovations at the component level can result in meaningful cost, energy and time savings at the system level.
There are three consistent trends, across industrial systems, whether robotics, the grid, home or factory automation.
More sensors, more data
Additional data enables systems to act and react more quickly and precisely in relation to the world around them. This capability is critical for systems involved in automation, but also means there is a greater focus on processing data quickly and efficiently throughout the system.
We now have the ability to identify things we couldn’t sense before. An example is mmWave radar-sensing technology, which enables almost any system to precisely detect objects and movement. By taking technology that was originally large, complex and expensive and making it smaller, easier to use and more affordable, mmWave radar sensors make higher precision sensing more accessible.
This influx of data coming into the system requires all of us to think creatively about how to effectively manage data and enable faster, smarter decision-making. One approach might be incorporating edge AI-enabled hardware and software into industrial systems to process a higher volume of data and adapt to changing environments in real time.
Managing inputs from a variety of sources can be challenging. For example, radar sensors can be used to enhance perception in collaborative robots (cobots) so they can operate and interact safely around humans. Adding vision sensing means the cobot can better see obstacles that are closer in proximity to it. Incorporating sensor fusion into a system gives designers the flexibility to support multiple sensing modalities, for example vision sensing, radar and lidar, which can help enhance the system’s overall perception.
Energy-efficient systems
The second trend is to make systems more energy-efficient. Balancing the increasing demand for higher performance while trying to keep overall system size the same – or shrink it – requires a reduction of power consumption of systems. This is also true of battery-operated systems that need to meet performance demands and stick to a fixed power budget.
New methods of improving energy efficiency are emerging across nearly every application and subsystem. It can be seen in medical applications that are trying to pack more sensors into an existing system, and in electric vehicles where carmakers are trying to increase driving range through more power-efficient batteries.
It is also seen in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Until a few years ago, all residential HVAC systems used a single-stage compressor. Today, systems are moving to variable speed compressors that enable a much more efficient energy use overall.
Variable speed compressors are managed by specialised processing technology designed for real-time control applications, and until recently, this technology was expensive and complex to implement. By using more affordable real-time control microcontrollers, engineers have access to technology that can help maximise motor control and increase energy efficiency within that same system. Transitioning residential houses to variable-speed HVAC systems has the potential to result in substantial energy savings across the grid.
Real-time control innovations that work with wide-bandgap technology such as GaN will drive breakthroughs in system efficiency and power density in data centre power supplies, solar inverters, fast chargers for personal electronics and other power-delivery applications.
Increasing connectivity
As well as increased connectivity on a personal level, there are benefits to enhancing connectivity from a business perspective.
For example, companies that add more sensing and connectivity capabilities to factories may help reduce power usage in areas of buildings that are inactive or help adjust production based on changes in demand. This level of flexibility is fuelled by industrial communications and both wired and wireless technologies such as Ethernet, controller area network, Bluetooth and Zigbee.
When applied to a city, utility companies can use wireless mesh networks to better monitor networks and adapt accordingly. This enhanced connectivity, combined with energy storage systems such as residential solar home systems, can help service providers adjust energy usage during peak hours.
Texas Instruments – 3A-215
