Page 56 - Power & Data Connectivity Expand Electronic Capabilities eBook

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from consortia like the OCP and ODCC optimize power distribution to promote energy efficiency and minimalize environmental impact.
Smart cities and buildings
With 5G and IoT, smart cities are now even smarter. Sensors and cameras installed on poles, traffic signals, billboards, rooftops, building walls, and underground use ultra-low power protocols like LoRaWAN, where they monitor and manage public assets related to lighting, environment, weather, traffic, and parking, as well as metering and monitoring air, gas, water, or energy. Individual buildings are becoming greener through automated HVAC, lighting, and energy metering. Either fixed or airborne, these systems use AI to remotely process data rather than waiting to hand it over to the central cloud, creating instantaneous communications that help critical entities like disaster management respond on time. Early warning systems that alert motorists that pedestrians are present, streetlamps with information displays, driverless taxis, hassle-free public transportation, and protection of civilian identity are a few examples of how machine-to-machine communication enriches life in smart cities.
For the consumer
Consumer electronics are smarter than ever. Content streams across HDTVs, game consoles, and virtual reality headsets. Powerful software and HD cameras on smartphones, tablets, and notebooks can make anyone a creative artist. Cordless toothbrushes, trimmers, and premium hair dryers spruce up personal care routines. Even our clothing, watches, wallets, and glasses can have smart capabilities.
Smart technology adds safety and convenience to homes. Garages and doors detect homeowners and let them in. Thermostats, lights, and blinds adjust to environmental conditions and individual tastes. Smart speakers respond to commands and remotely operate appliances, entertainment systems, and smart meters. Sensors, plugs, and switches with AI detect fire or burglary. Smart meters inform utilities of power consumed from the grid or fed back from shingled solar panels. Smart homes are no longer science fiction, but a commercially viable reality.
Autonomous and e-mobility solutions improve personal transportation. Cameras, lidar, UV, and ADAS steer cars through lanes, obstacles, and traffic. Charging stations provide fast and wireless EV charging. Light-commute e-bikes with pedal-assist and on-board computers are joining bicycle sharing programs.
Industry and Energy 4.0
Process-controlled factory automation in the food and beverage, automobile, and material and goods industry involves industrial PCs and programmable logic controllers (PLC) working servo drives, motors, valves, and actuators using protocols like industrial Ethernet, TCP/IP, Modbus, and Profibus. Now, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 can empower AI to accomplish tasks such as:
• Read and control each traditional PLC, Ethernet switch, PC, or gateway from any corner of the world through a mobile device or a smart speaker.
• Equip robotic arms to go collaborative and fenceless through dynamic trajectory adjustments to promote worker safety and save installation costs.
• Bring Ethernet connectivity to each smart sensor or actuator to form an IIoT system and channel their diagnostic data to the cloud for live tracking and predictive maintenance.
• Perform failure traceability to detect faults and order replacements for worn-out parts.