How will consumer technology impact manufacturing?
Key Highlights
- Consumer electronics, particularly mobile devices, are directly influencing the design and functionality of industrial hardware like HMIs.
- The integration of mobile technology in manufacturing reduces infrastructure costs while providing workers with the flexibility of remote data monitoring and control.
- Industrial leaders look to major consumer events like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to identify emerging trends that will eventually reshape the manufacturing landscape.
How does the consumer market affect the industrial space? We see it happen all the time. Just look at how the cell phone or personal mobile device of any kind has made its way deep into industrial applications.
According to the latest report from Pew Research Center, 98% of Americans own a cell phone of some kind. Companies have implemented policies concerning both its use and its restriction in the workplace. But industrial human-machine interfaces (HMIs), for example, continue to become more similar to cell phones, adding to the HMI's user-friendliness. And the mobility reduces wiring costs and enables remote access to data monitoring and control.
Editors from our partner publication, Electronic Design, are attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, and they’re reporting on the consumer trends that are sure to impact the manufacturing industry. Check out the latest tech at this year's CES from behind the scenes.
