One of the driving forces of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the emergence of cyber-physical systems that can turn any enterprise and even entire cities into a semblance of a living organism. “Nervous systems” of sensors, “smart” devices and software platforms interconnected by wireless networks collect and process information from city lighting systems, cars moving along the roads, and industrial equipment. Municipalities of cities and industrial enterprises show the greatest interest in this direction.
Hand on the pulse
“The IoT industry (Internet of Things, Internet of things. -) in our country is highly segmented,” says Alexander Petrov, co-founder of Connectivity. — There is a separate world of the industrial Internet of Things, which has its own requirements, its own laws and technologies. On the other hand, there is a world of small innovative companies and start-up divisions of large corporations that are looking to use IoT to grow their business and attract new customers.”
The fact that IoT technologies can be applied in completely different areas is confirmed by the example of Connectivity itself. Over the years, the company has developed many solutions that are interconnected only by the fact that they use “smart” devices. “For example, we have developed a system for monitoring fish resources in closed reservoirs and coastal waters,” says Petrov. — Buoys with an echo sounder and the necessary electronics are installed on the anchors. Probing the water with sound waves, the buoy transmits data on the density of the environment around it to the shore. So you can calculate how many fish are in the pond.
Another project is a home ventilation system for offices. “There is a ventilation unit with air heating and filters on the wall, and humidity and carbon dioxide sensors in the rooms,” explains Petrov. “You can monitor the readings of the sensors through your smartphone and remotely control the operation of the system.” Finally, the company has created an electrocardiogram data collection service that allows the doctor to keep abreast of the patient without the need for regular meetings. A patient with cardiovascular disease wears a small ECG recorder on his body, which regularly sends data to the “cloud”. Here they are processed and visualized in the doctor’s personal web office and mobile application. The doctor can also give recommendations online.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global IoT market will exceed $2026 trillion by 1,1 (compared to $2018 billion in 160). The rapid growth of the market is associated with the widespread introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and systems using machine learning. The growth of the market is also supported by the increasing use of smart devices, smartphones, as well as an increase in the need for energy saving. If the optimistic scenario for the development of the Internet of Things market in our country is realized in 2022, its volume may exceed 590 billion rubles, according to the research company GuideMarket.
Transitional stage
Representatives of the companies with whom I spoke agree that industrial enterprises have the greatest interest in the Internet of things. This is no coincidence. “Here, the financial return from IoT solutions is most obvious: an unscheduled shutdown of a unit or a production line can cost a company tens and hundreds of millions of rubles,” says Igor Bliznyukov, business development director at Tingenix. — For example, a sugar beet processing plant must operate 24/7 during the season. The timely detected increase in vibration and temperature on the nodes of the drying units allows for timely maintenance and to prevent a complete shutdown of production.”
The creation of a vibration sensor that can save substantial amounts of money was prompted by the breakdown of a pump that pumped out sewage in the village where the technical director of Tingenix lives. “After this story, the village became our client: it turned out that if you replace a small part in time, then you don’t need to change the entire pump later,” Bliznyukov explains. According to the interlocutor, the scale of accidents in production can be very different – from an unscheduled shutdown of the machine to the failure of critical equipment at a thermal power plant.
Reducing accident damage is not the only consideration. “IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things, Industrial Internet of Things. -) allows you to optimize production by creating constantly updated “digital twins” of all processes and products,” explains Alexander Petrov. Sensors constantly collect data on the state of the equipment and transmit it to the “brain” – a proprietary or cloud-based software platform. Artificial intelligence can control machines like a conductor of an orchestra: choose the best work schedule, distribute the load between workshops, build more correct logistics.
Some of the foreign companies with the help of IIoT are going to move to fully automatic factories. For example, the Siemens plant in the German town of Amberg performs 75% of the processes in a fully automatic mode. In our country, large companies are mainly testing the technologies of the Internet of things. For example, the St. Petersburg Kirov Plant announced the successful results of testing IIoT solutions in September.
“Now the industry is in transition,” says Konstantin Plekhanov, CEO of Taiga IoT. — Most of the players have tried various technologies and are moving to their large-scale commercial implementations. I believe that 2020 will be the year of large IoT projects.”
Among the problems that solution providers face, Bliznyukov cites the long sales cycle typical of industrial enterprises – it can last up to two years, which, according to him, is a lot for such a dynamic industry as the Internet of things. In addition, there is a shortage of qualified personnel on the market – unlike big data analytics or artificial intelligence solutions, people are needed here who would understand both hardware and software. “It’s not only customers who suffer from a shortage of personnel, but also integrators who often have to spend a lot of effort to do what the client wants,” says Igor Bliznyukov.
One of the first industrial companies to start integrating IoT solutions into their products was the manufacturer of special equipment Caterpillar. An interesting solution was born at the intersection of the Internet of things and augmented reality (AR) technologies. New bulldozers and excavators are equipped with sensors that capture real-time information about the status of important components. Pointing the tablet camera at the car, the operator sees data on how much fuel is left, what parts need to be replaced, etc.
Hope for support
The municipalities of Russian cities are becoming more and more active customers of IoT solutions. Here they are part of the smart city concept. By collecting information from numerous sensors and managing urban infrastructure with the help of AI, it is possible to seriously reduce the level of accidents and crimes, improve the transport situation in the metropolis and reduce budget expenditures.
Application of IoT in the urban environment
“Smart” lighting. Automated regulation of lighting (including dimming) of streets and adjacent territories, taking into account weather conditions and traffic intensity using photoacoustic sensors and motion sensors.
— Reducing lighting costs by up to 30-50%.
— Reducing the cost of operating the lighting network up to 30%.
“Smart” counters. With them, consumers do not need to monthly record and send data on the consumption of electricity, heat, gas and water, and management companies do an annual calibration of devices – new devices automatically transmit readings. MegaFon presented such a solution in 2017 in Innopolis based on NB-IoT technology. Special modules turn one ordinary counter or several at once into a “smart” one. Such devices save housing and public utilities resources, operate without replacing batteries for up to 10 years, and due to NB-IoT technology, they can be installed in basements and other places with a weak signal.
Garbage removal. Monitoring the fullness of garbage containers to optimize garbage collection schedules: the garbage truck arrives when the containers are full, which eliminates the shipment of empty and overflow containers.
— Reducing the cost of garbage disposal up to 20%.
– Maintenance of the landscaping of the adjacent territories.
Monitoring of municipal equipment. Monitoring the movement and mode of operation of municipal and cleaning equipment, control of the speed and accuracy of the passage of the route, control of fuel consumption.
— Reducing the cost of fuel and lubricants for special equipment up to 10%.
— Improving the efficiency of cleaning the city.
Monitoring of communal infrastructure. Monitoring of indicators of water and heat supply pipes (temperature, pressure) to identify non-compliance with standards, eliminate overheating, prevent and timely eliminate accidents.
— Reducing heating costs by up to 20% due to the prevention of overheating (heating supply above the norm).
Intelligent transport system. Adaptive control of traffic flows based on a dynamic model of traffic congestion.
— Increasing the capacity of roads up to 30%.
Smart parking. Monitoring of parking spaces, informing drivers about availability, electronic payment for parking.
— Increasing the capacity of roads up to 10%.
Connected public transport. Equipping transport with Internet access and movement monitoring devices, informing passengers about the time of arrival through mobile applications and electronic displays at stops.
— Reducing the waiting time for transport up to 30%.
Video recording of traffic violations. Automated fines.
— Reducing the number of traffic violations by up to 20%.
Support for emergency services. Distribution of teams to calls depending on location, remote consultations.
– Increased arrival speed up to 10-15%.
Public safety monitoring. Street monitoring by webcams, face recognition technologies.
— Reducing the level of street crime to 10%.
Telemedicine. Electronic appointment with the doctor and remote data transmission by the patient, remote consultations.
— Reduction of waiting time in medical institutions.
“Smart” schools. Electronic diaries and journals, remote purchase of lunches, attendance monitoring using electronic passes.
— Increasing the level of satisfaction with educational services.
Sources: PwC, MegaFon
“Smart” infrastructure allows you to save up to 60% on outdoor lighting,” Mikhail Mikhelev, CEO of IT Smart City, cites the figures. In 2016, the company completely rebuilt the outdoor lighting control system in Orel, and last year it upgraded the outdoor lighting network in the Moscow district of Maryino. Experts divided all residential areas into several groups (“yard territory”, “sports grounds”, “kindergarten and school”), the level of illumination in each of the groups now changes according to a separate schedule.
According to the head of the company, the support of a street lamp can become one of the main elements of the new urban infrastructure. The support developed by IT Smart City specialists is equipped with a variety of devices: a road surface condition sensor, a weather station, a video analytics module that allows you to record violations and analyze traffic, a screen that displays various information, and an SOS alarm button. “The poles are evenly distributed throughout the city, they serve as power connection points and, last but not least, due to their height, they serve as convenient anti-vandal platforms for placing equipment,” Mikhelev explains.
Other developments include a “smart” pedestrian crossing, which the company has installed in several Russian cities (for example, in Berezniki, Perm Territory). Such traffic lights stop traffic only when a pedestrian is actually going to use the crossing. Having fixed its approach to the transition with the help of motion sensors, the traffic light turns on a brightly flashing scoreboard. In addition, the company offers “smart” trash cans that feed the program their occupancy data, helping to optimize the garbage collection schedule.
Regions in numbers
The national program “Digital Economy” provides that “smart” cities will become testing grounds for the latest technologies.
On a federal scale, smart city technologies are being developed by MegaFon. In June 2019, the company introduced a digital twin of Kronstadt.
The “Digital Twin” is a single database with complete information about all areas of urban life. It includes data on the environment, gas supply, water supply, traffic congestion, electrification, healthcare and education services – from photo and video information coming from sensors to text documents.
The “Double” includes a 3:1 scale 500D copy of the city, which can be used for territorial development planning, infrastructure optimization, transport network optimization and for other purposes.
Another example of a MegaFon project in the field of the Internet of Things is the Smart Housing and Public Utilities solution. Electricity, heat, gas and water meters, using the NB-IoT technology module, independently transmit information to management companies. This solution allows you to save energy and get transparent data for calculations. In addition, management companies do not need to send employees to go around apartments and collect instrument readings, and consumers do not need to manually transfer utility data. Such a system works, for example, in the science city of Innopolis in Tatarstan.
Soulless Inspector
Logistics companies (such as the American express delivery operator UPS) have adopted devices to track the movement of goods for several years. However, simple tracking of traffic is already yesterday, says Sergey Rodichev, head of development at GdeMoi. The devices offered by the company are connected to the vehicle’s on-board network. “Thanks to this, the monitoring system can control the operating time of the transport and tell the dispatcher the date of the new maintenance,” Rodichev explains. According to him, thanks to the control of fuel consumption using sensors, theft of fuel can also be detected. In general, savings on fleet maintenance reach up to 50%.
The market is gradually increasing the demand for equipping special equipment and cars with alcolocks that prevent drunk driving, Rodichev notes. The driver, getting into the car, must exhale air into a special mouthpiece. If alcohol is detected in his breath, the car will not budge. Other systems allow you to determine the degree of driver fatigue – for example, by the movement of his pupils.
At the same time, Sergei Rodichev assesses the prospects for the development of the market for “smart” devices for cars as ambiguous: “On the one hand, advanced technologies and equipment are presented on the market. On the other hand, companies continue to use simple and basic solutions for the most part.” According to GdeMoi’s head of development, sabotage and employee resistance to technology adoption prevent companies from benefiting from the introduction of new complex products.
House in the cloud
The “smart” home, the concept with which, in fact, the Internet of things began (the idea of such a house was expressed back in 1984) somewhat repeated the fate of VR technologies: the concept was in vogue in the 1990s, but embodied in devices demanded by consumers began only in the last few years. According to MarketsandMarkets forecast, this segment will almost double in the coming years (from $76,6 billion in 2018 to $151,4 billion in 2024).
The system, thanks to which the most ordinary house can “get smarter”, is offered, for example, by the American company Qualcomm. It allows you to remotely monitor the situation in the house – reports the appearance of noise, allows the owner from work to instruct the robot vacuum cleaner to clean the apartment. The system opens the door to the owners by recognizing their faces using a webcam.
smart cows
A promising area of the Internet of Things is agriculture. “Farmers are very demanding customers,” says Yasser Hohar, founder and CEO of the Dutch company Connecterra. “They need technology that allows them to increase their ROI. If they see it’s not happening, they won’t use it.”
Connecterra’s main product is “smart” cow trackers, which are attached to animals on a collar. They allow not only to track the location of cows during grazing, but also to determine in time whether the animal is sick or pregnant. The program analyzes the temperature of the animal and its route – for example, if a cow usually walks one distance through the pasture a day and suddenly becomes much less active, this indicates that something has happened to her.
Yasser Khokhar, who previously worked on sensors and machine learning at Microsoft, points to an obstacle to the development of IoT – the quality of the Internet connection. “This applies primarily to developing countries with limited access to the Network, as well as countries with strict state regulation in the field of wireless connection. And yet, I think that in the next five years, a significant part of enterprises in agriculture – as in many other areas – will use the Internet of things, ”he concludes.