SECTOR FOCUS INDUSTRY 4.0
We will also see the disappearance
of inflexible cables and the influx
of 5G and other wireless protocols.
Standardisation will become more and
more important throughout 2020 and
beyond, with the continuing growth
of IoT, as machines are not only
connected with each other but also to
cloud systems where there is arguably
near limitless calculation power
available.
Embedded devices become easier
to deploy
Typically, artificial intelligence has
used 32-bit floating-point mathematics
as available in high performance
computing systems like data centres,
clusters, GPUs and others. This
meant designers could achieve more
accurate results and easier training
of AI models, but that low power,
low cost embedded devices that
used fixed-point mathematics – such
as electronic control units (ECUs)
in vehicles and other embedded
industrial applications – were ruled
out. However, thanks to recent
advances in software, there are
plenty of tools available for 2020
that support AI inference models
with different levels of fixed-point
mathematics. The key benefit here
is that organisations can deploy AI
on these lower power devices and
incorporate the technology into their
designs.
Cloud and edge computing drive
calculation power
From the workshop to the lab to the
factory floor, AI-based algorithms will
dynamically optimise the throughput
of the entire production line while
minimising the consumption of energy
and other resources. Cloud computing,
along with edge computing – whereby
organisations process data on the
edge of their network where data is
generated as opposed to in a central
server or central data-processing
centre – is playing a key role. The
rapidly increasing calculation power
of industrial controllers and edge
computing devices are truly paving the
ground for new software functionality
on production systems.
Predictive maintenance is also set
to improve as it incorporates data not
only from one machine or site but also
from multiple locations and across
equipment from a variety of vendors.
The algorithms can be deployed on
non-real time platforms as well as on
real-time systems like programmable
logic controllers.
Electronics designers can achieve
more
One of the most profound changes in
the electronics industry in 2020 will be
on the people behind the components
and machinery. As AI becomes
an increasingly important part of
the agenda, demand for AI skills
will grow, and it won’t just be data
scientists that will be sought after.
Engineers, scientists and designers
will need to be proactive in training
themselves – or putting in a case
to their employers to be trained and
become ‘citizen data scientists’ – nondata
science professionals that have
the knowledge and ability to work on
machine and deep learning projects.
Artificial intelligence is offering plenty
of opportunities for improvement, but
it is vital staff have the know-how to be
able to fully capitalise on it.
Reinforcement learning starts being
taken seriously
Reinforcement learning (RL) is possibly
most famous for its ability to beat
human beings at the game Go – which
recently hit headlines after it beat
South Korean Go champion Lee Se-dol
and led to him announcing retirement,
concluding that it is now “an entity
that cannot be defeated”. However, in
2020 it will go from gaming to enabling
real-world industrial applications,
particularly control design, robotics,
autonomous systems and more. RL will
increasingly be used as a component
to improve larger systems, with key
enablers including easier tools for
electronics designers to build and train
RL policies, generate large simulation
datasets for training of models, code
generation for embedded hardware
and easy integration of RL agents into
system simulation tools.
One example of how RL can be
used is to improve driver performance
in an autonomous driving system. By
adding an RL agent to improve and
optimise performance, AI can enhance
the controller in the system leading
to advancements such as reduced
fuel consumption, faster speed or
quicker brake response times. RL can
theoretically be implemented into any
part a full autonomous driving system,
from a vehicle dynamics model to
an environment model to image
processing algorithms and camera
sensor models.
While developments in technology
are putting pressure on organisations
to adapt and invest in training and
skilled professionals, electronics
designers should look on the bright
side, considering all the positives that
will arise as the tech advances further
in 2020.
If professionals work together to
capitalise on these opportunities, they
will be able to realise projects faster,
more efficiently and with a higher
success rate. It is already an exciting
time to be an electronics designer but
by the end of 2020 that statement will
ring even more true.
“With Industry
4.0 well
underway, 2020
is expected to
be a pivotal year
with engineers,
designers
and other
professionals
benefitting
from the latest
developments in
technology.”
Author details:
Jos Martin is
Senior Engineering
Manager at
MathWorks
www.newelectronics.co.uk 14 January 2020 29
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