Conf42 IoT 2024: At the Edge of Robotic Applications

At the latest Conf42 Internet of Things (IoT) 2024 conference, our Payarans deliver a keynote, titled "At the Edge of Robotic Applications". The presentation discussed the increasing need for efficient data handling and cloud computing in industrial robotics applications to create future-oriented Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) framework. The talk highlighted how edge computing can support such efforts and the role of application server technologies to create smart robotized systems within factories.

If you missed the Conf42 IoT event on December 19, 2024, you can read more about how to create IIoT-oriented robot applications with edge computing in this blog post, together with the recording to the original talk.

What Is Conf42?

Conf42 is a community for software developers, software engineers, testers and more that organizes regular online events on key topics, such as DevOps, Cloud Native, AI & ML, Observability, Platform Engineering, Kube Native, DevSecOps and IoT. Conf42's latest online conference on IoT was held on December 19, 2024.

It featured a keynote delivered by our expert team at Payara. You can watch the presentation below or keep scrolling to read am in-depth summary.

What You Need to Know About Industrial Robots

More and more robots are being installed in manufacturing plants worldwide, with 541,302 new units added in 2023 to shop floors around the globe, according to the World Robotics 2024 report, presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). In the same year, there were a record of 162 robots per 10,000 employees. The vast majority of robots, which are mostly industrial six-axis and delta types, can be found in automotive (25% of all installations) and semiconductor (23%) factories. 

The continuous growth in robot installations and robot density attests to the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, with global efforts to drive automated processes. However, to truly create smart factories, it is also important to leverage the power of data to deliver actionable insights that can drive key efficiencies and profitability within businesses. 

When it comes to robotics systems in industrial settings, it is possible to equip them with sensors that can help enhance visibility, accessibility and, ultimately, reliability as well as uptime. In addition, it is possible to leverage real-time data from robots and their sensors to improve condition monitoring, proactive and scheduled maintenance, supporting remote control, diagnostics and troubleshooting that can help engineers and operators to detect potential issues before they escalate into major problems. As a result, it is possible to reduce unplanned and scheduled downtime as well as maintenance costs. Even more, data analytics can establish the foundation for highly effective predictive maintenance strategies.

Tying Together Robots, Cloud and Edge

The Cloud's The Limit

The effective processing and analysis of robot-related data should involve the combination of cloud and edge computing. While the Cloud offers a remote server with a massive storage space for advanced data analytics, it cannot be used by itself for industrial applications.

If shop floor devices, such as robots and their sensors, connect directly to the cloud to transmit data and receive instructions, organizations can face several limitations. Such IoT devices generate substantial volumes of data. As such, they would require large and costly connections to data centers as well as cloud services to support IIoT frameworks.

Even more, cloud connectivity is often not able to match the high speed and bandwidth required by industrial automation operations, nor it can offer low jitter and latency. As such, linking robots directly to the cloud for mission-critical applications may impact uptime and performance.

Another key issue is security. A factory's network is often isolated to protect it from unauthorized access and cyberattacks that could compromise manufacturing operations. Therefore, a cloud connection may reduce the robustness of such infrastructures. 

There's Power at the Edge

The addition of edge strategies can overcome these challenges, helping companies to successfully implement IIoT-oriented robotics applications. In effect, edge computing can support data filtering as it offers a way to process data locally, close to where they are created, rather than having to send everything to a cloud as a big online storage space. By placing a computational resource close to the robots, unnecessary data can be discarded while relevant, valuable data can be refined and sent to the cloud for processing. Even more, the edge can help ensure a timely reaction to factory events. When a robot issue occurs, immediate on-site decisions and interventions can be made without waiting for cloud-based guidance.

In addition, edge computing supports cybersecurity and system resilience. It does so by providing a secure layer to the factory automation network that can protect ongoing operations from attacks. By processing data locally, it reduces the exposure of mission-critical and time-sensitive industrial information to external threats that may arise from cloud connectivity. Ultimately, even if connectivity to the cloud is disrupted, on-site decision-making remains functional, ensuring that robots and automation systems can continue to operate efficiently. 

By combining cloud and edge computing, factory automation specialists can get the best of both worlds. More precisely, they can leverage the cloud to develop knowledge while the edge is where data are pre-processed and knowledge is put into action.

Leverage Application Platforms for IIoT-Oriented Smart Robot Applications

Of course, a number of applications and components are involved in smart robotics setups that leverage edge and cloud computing. As these applications share and process large volumes of data, middleware is a must, as it acts as the intermediary between the different applications and systems to enable communications, data exchange and connectivity.

The most effective middleware solution that industrial automation and robotics experts can implement is an application server platform. This is a software that provides the runtime to deploy applications smoothly, securely and reliably. As such, it optimises performance, manages computing resources and facilitates the seamless collaboration among different application components. Ultimately, teams don't have to spend time and resources for infrastructure development, configuration and management. 

When looking for a suitable application server platform, it is essential to look for a solution that is open, backward compatible, interoperable and vendor-neutral, such as Payara Platform, which relies on Jakarta EE open specifications. In effect, by choosing a solution that features these elements, companies can benefit for high flexibility, as they can integrate new technologies without major disruptions or costly overhauls, while ensuring seamless communication between different systems. This, in turn, can help deliver a highly connected and efficient IIoT-driven industrial automation environment. 

Start Creating Your Smart Robots Now

Building intelligent and secure robotic systems for industrial automation requires the right foundation. By leveraging the combined power of edge and cloud computing, along with a robust runtime, companies can futureproof their industrial automation infrastructure. 

Take the next step toward smarter robotics today. Download Payara Platform Community and start developing innovative industrial automation solutions that strengthen the shop floor.