In order to understand what type of equipment is of interest to engineers, we need to better understand of the type of engineer or scientist. For instance, chemical engineers, chemists, and materials engineers typically have very different job functions.

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It may sound like a flight of fancy, but Germany-based Festo has developed a "FreeMotionHandling" system that grips objects in a production facility and then flies them to their intended destinations. The drone incorporates a rotating helium ball ringed by propellers. The ball holds a gripping element featuring an ultra-thin film filled with helium. Once an object is drawn into the gripper, pressure in the helium-filled sleeve causes it to extend out again to dispense the object.

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Process industries, as with the hybrid and discrete production sectors, will increase integration among field devices and supervisory control and data (SCADA) systems, as well as between the integrated plant network and business systems. To accomplish this goal, it is projected the industry will invest more than $100 billion globally, split between modernization and green-field installations. According to this report from Processing Magazine, the best way to implement these changes is by using standard Ethernet and Internet technologies, as embodied in the Common Internet Protocol (CIP™) and EtherNet IP™.

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The IIoT is happening. It's propelled by optimized automated processes and large amounts of actionable information. Data analytics software, smart sensors, and a generation of engineers who have grown up using the Internet are easing the path. Even so, challenges remain. Of primary concern: the number of connected devices will be growing into the trillions and each one will have to be uniquely identified. Replacing the IPv4 addressing protocol with IPv6 will provide the addresses, but managing them will not be easy. This piece from Automation.com cites additional hurdles.

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Cloud computing is broadly accepted for the enterprise, but less so for factory automation. ISA Intech details pros and cons of using the cloud for industrial processes. For example, the public cloud might arbitrarily shift its allocation of resources to balance its services. But that's unacceptable for real-time automation, which needs reliable high-speed availability. Private cloud services can be a good answer however. They can provide historian, analytics, and even complete Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) functions. The article predicts that as cloud computing becomes better understood, it will be a useful tool for automation engineers.

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