By: Johan Potgieter - Cluster Industrial Software Lead at Schneider Electric

Renowned trend forecaster and designer, Li Edelkoort said: "We will design out of hope and not out of fear.” A quote that transcends so many industries and undoubtedly underscores man’s infinite desire to innovate and grow.

And today, automation is undoubtedly at the forefront of this hope that will see man and machine meet to create a technological world that is both efficient and safe.  

Is it blade, is it a runner?

It would come as no surprise that AI and ML are the forefront of the increased efficiency movement, vital cogs in this sophisticated automated machine.  For example, AI-driven predictive maintenance can, like a quasi-mirror ball, predict equipment failures before it occurs.

A development that is extremely exciting, is autonomous systems. Like a jedi of sorts, an autonomous system can operate independently and adapt to conditions without human intervention.  

Indeed, autonomous robots and vehicles are becoming increasingly commonplace in manufacturing, logistics and warehousing.  It is a world Philip K. Dick and his Sci-Fi writer peers will be proud of.  

Again, these automatons can navigate complex environments, perform intricate and downright dangerous tasks and, importantly, co-exist with their human counterparts.

Similarly, human-machine collaboration is fast becoming a reality.  We’re seeing man and machine working together to achieve excellence. Perfection is after all what our Borg friends in Star Trek strived to.

Here, collaborative robots (cobots) can assist human workers with tasks that require both precision and strength, while, in turn, humans provide the creativity and problem-solving skills that machines lack.

Make the circle wider, 5G and service are now friends with automation

5G is set to make industrial automation even faster – it offers reliable connectivity that lend itself to real-time data processing and communication. 5G offers blistering speeds of up to between 10 and 20 Gbps.

With 5G, we can implement more sophisticated IoT devices and sensors, creating a highly interconnected and responsive manufacturing environment. 

Automation as a Service (AaaS) is another exciting option.  It allows organisations to access all the benefits that come with automation in a staggered, attainable manner.  Subscription reduces upfront costs whilst providing flexible and scalability, as and when required.

Furthermore, AaaS provides companies with the absolute latest in automation technologies, which is particularly beneficial in a marketplace evolves at pace.

At Schneider Electric we offer automation services through a subscription model called "Energy as a Service" (EaaS) which enable our customers to access advanced automation and energy management solutions without the need for significant upfront capital investment.