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For many large industrial construction sites and operating facilities, the first step towards the Industrial Internet of Things is implementing automated tracking of materials, equipment and personnel. In industries such as energy, mining, and oil & gas, active RFID and GPS tag-based systems can reduce material and equipment loss, avoid expensive delays searching for 'lost' tools, equipment, or construction materials, pinpoint the location of equipment needing maintenance, or keep track of workers during site emergencies.
A colleague of mine recently made me aware of a company, Intelliwave Technologies, that provides sensor-based asset tracking solutions for these industries. As far as I can see, the term "Internet of Things" doesn't appear anywhere on the Alberta-based company's website or in their promotional materials. Despite this, they have had tracking/visibility solutions for several years. The SiteSense barcode, RFID, and GPS sensor tags can be assigned to pipe spools, valves, structural beams, mechanical or electrical equipment, or other materials critical to the project. These assets can then be tracked from storage locations to the construction crews.
RFID tags are a good low cost option for tracking the locations of large numbers of equipment where a reader infrastructure is available. RFID tags rely on internal batteries, but their expected life is measured in years.
GPS tags are a good option for tracking equipment over multiple project sites where RFID reader infrastructure is not readily available. GPS tracking tags also allow for engine run-time logging to assist in maintenance reporting. SiteSense GPS tags are designed and tested to military standards with intrinsically safe certifications. They communicate with the GlobalStar satellite network, ensuring there are no blackout areas. GPS tags have internal batteries that last up to 3,000 location messages, which provide new locations for equipment even if the equipment is not operating.
Tablets with mobile software applications provide crews access to information on materials, work packages, drawings, or other documents - right on the spot. Detailed equipment information, such as photos, serial numbers, sensor IDs, current site location, maintenance information, utilization, user comments, and history can be readily accessed via the system. And SiteSense can be integrated with other systems such as Bentley's ConstructSim.
So here's another example of a system with many of the characteristics of an IIoT solution. It has connected devices, Software as a Service delivery model, integration to maintenance, CAD, and other software systems, and mobile device support. What's missing? The ability to monitor live data from other machine-mounted sensors, and predictive analytics to improve asset uptime and utilization. But even without these capabilities, a lot of value can be had by identifying the asset and its location, and then associating it with more detailed information on the Web. In this way, it is similar to Google's Physical Web project, which I wrote about in a previous blog.
What's your view? Is this an example of the Industrial Internet of Things in action, or is it just asset tracking? I would be interested to know!
A colleague of mine recently made me aware of a company, Intelliwave Technologies, that provides sensor-based asset tracking solutions for these industries. As far as I can see, the term "Internet of Things" doesn't appear anywhere on the Alberta-based company's website or in their promotional materials. Despite this, they have had tracking/visibility solutions for several years. The SiteSense barcode, RFID, and GPS sensor tags can be assigned to pipe spools, valves, structural beams, mechanical or electrical equipment, or other materials critical to the project. These assets can then be tracked from storage locations to the construction crews.
RFID tags are a good low cost option for tracking the locations of large numbers of equipment where a reader infrastructure is available. RFID tags rely on internal batteries, but their expected life is measured in years.
GPS tags are a good option for tracking equipment over multiple project sites where RFID reader infrastructure is not readily available. GPS tracking tags also allow for engine run-time logging to assist in maintenance reporting. SiteSense GPS tags are designed and tested to military standards with intrinsically safe certifications. They communicate with the GlobalStar satellite network, ensuring there are no blackout areas. GPS tags have internal batteries that last up to 3,000 location messages, which provide new locations for equipment even if the equipment is not operating.
Tablets with mobile software applications provide crews access to information on materials, work packages, drawings, or other documents - right on the spot. Detailed equipment information, such as photos, serial numbers, sensor IDs, current site location, maintenance information, utilization, user comments, and history can be readily accessed via the system. And SiteSense can be integrated with other systems such as Bentley's ConstructSim.
So here's another example of a system with many of the characteristics of an IIoT solution. It has connected devices, Software as a Service delivery model, integration to maintenance, CAD, and other software systems, and mobile device support. What's missing? The ability to monitor live data from other machine-mounted sensors, and predictive analytics to improve asset uptime and utilization. But even without these capabilities, a lot of value can be had by identifying the asset and its location, and then associating it with more detailed information on the Web. In this way, it is similar to Google's Physical Web project, which I wrote about in a previous blog.
What's your view? Is this an example of the Industrial Internet of Things in action, or is it just asset tracking? I would be interested to know!