NEWS n www.drivesncontrols.com September 2024 11 THE WORLD’S MANUFACTURERS will generate 4.4 zettabytes of OT (operational technology) data globally by 2030, according to a new report from ABI Research. This is similar to the amount of data expected to be generated by all mobile phone users around the globe in that year. “In the wake of Industry 4.0, data is becoming the lifeblood of industrial enterprises, driving innovation and efficiency, and the comparison to telecoms consumer data is compelling,” says Leo Gergs, ABI’s principal analyst for hybrid cloud and 5G markets. “The vast volume of data that enterprises generate only reveals part of the picture,” he adds. “OT data in enterprises often involves extremely hazardous environments, where any data malfunction could lead to severe consequences. “On the other hand, a significant portion of data in telecommunications networks consists of cat videos and other entertaining memes. While there's nothing wrong with enjoying Internet memes, OT data in enterprises is crucial for ensuring safety and maintaining business operations.” According to ABI, handling these massive volumes of OT data will require capabilities in three main areas: n Infrastructure and storage Enterprises will need to invest heavily in data storage to handle the large volumes of OT data, and network infrastructures will need to be upgraded to support the high bandwidths needed to transmit the massive amounts of data. n Data management and processing capabilities Sophisticated data management systems will be needed to organise, store and retrieve OT data efficiently. “At present, only a shocking 5% of enterprise OT data is properly utilised due to high friction between data siloes,” Gergs reports. “To maximise the benefit of all their data for advanced use cases such as generative AI, enterprises will demand integration solutions that help tear down the walls of individual data siloes.” Highperformance computing will be essential to process and analyse the data in real-time. n Cybersecurity Large volumes of OT data, often generated by critical infrastructure, present a tempting target for cybercriminals, and will demand robust cybersecurity measures. “The massive IT outage following a malfunctioning CrowdStrike software update laid bare, in a shocking way, the importance of a thorough security strategy and robust data storage and accessibility strategy,” says Gergs. “Enterprises are overwhelmed by the complexity this entails. Therefore, they will turn to digitisation partners to provide these strategies as part of a comprehensive data and cloud offering. The findings are published in ABI’s14-page Industrial Data Generation Forecast report. www.abiresearch.com/market-research/ product/market-data/md-dtamms Manufacturers will generate as much data as mobile users by 2030 CHINA IS PLANNING to use robots to drive a new round of industrial transformation. The decision was made at a recent meeting of the National Congress of the Communist Party. The country is already the world’s largest robot market and wants to sell more Chinese-made robots outside the country. At present, it exports less than 5% of the robots it produces. “China's rapid development in industrial robot automation is extraordinary,” says Marina Bill, president of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). “The operational stock surpassed the 1.5-million mark two years ago, making China the first and only country with such a large industrial robot stock.” In 2022 alone, it installed 290,258 robots, representing 52% of global installations. “So far the number of exported robots from China has been very limited,” acknowledges Xiaogang Song, executive director and secretary-general of the China Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA). “Like any business looking for a new market, Chinese robot companies go where there is demand for their products.” Song says it will take time to build brand credibility and provide the service levels to meet the demands of foreign markets. In some areas, such as vision systems and AI applications, Chinese automation suppliers are benefiting from accelerating demand from Chinese manufacturers. China is also at the forefront of humanoid robot developments with one manufacturer, Unitree, recently announcing that its G1 humanoid is ready for mass production, with prices starting at $16,000. The 1.3m-tall, 35kg machine contains up to 43 joint motors, each delivering up to 120Nm of torque. It has threefinger “hands” with force control to handle objects. Massive investment in China’s automotive industry has boosted demand for industrial robots, with the country being both the world's largest car market and the world's largest production base for cars – including electric vehicles. China is also a major manufacturer of electronic devices, batteries, semiconductors and microchips. Since 2016, the electrical and electronics industry has replaced the automotive industry as the main buyer of industrial robots in China. The latest data on the Chinese robot industry will be released by IFR when it publishes its World Robotics report in late September. China wants to use robots to drive its industrial growth and exports The Chinese humanoid robot developer, Unitree, has announced that it is about to commercialise a machine with a starting price of $16,000
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