The industrial revolution is the advancement in manufacturing processes. The industrial revolution began in Europe in the 17th century. It was the first Industrial Revolution.  With the advancements in machines and manufacturing processes, Industrial revolution 2, 3 and 4 came into existence.

Industrial Revolution 2.0 started just after the first industrial revolution. It was also coined as Technological Revolution. The area of influence of the Industrial Revolution 2.0 was mainly Britain, America and parts of Germany.

The third industrial revolution began with the era of computers. With the widespread use of computers, and the capability to do superhuman things, Industrial revolution 3.0 started. Industrial revolution 3.0 stated the use of programming logic controllers. It also laid foundations for Industrial revolution 4.0.

The industrial revolution, also coined as “smart factory”, is the dependency of machines and smart reality at the more ease and comfort with more increase in production. In essence, industry 4.0 is the trend towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes which include cyber-physical systems (CPS), the internet of things (IoT), industrial internet of things, cloud computing, cognitive computing and artificial intelligence.

Industrial Revolution 4.0 consists of different aspects viz.

1.Internet of Things

The ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction is known as the Internet of Things.

In simple language, when things communicate with each other over a common network, it is known as the Internet of things. In the consumer market, IoT is synonymous with home automation, home security and systems that can be controlled with devices related to that ecosystem like smartphones.

2. Smart sensors

Smart sensors are a major part of the Internet of Things. They are equipped with a digital interface, and they perform self-diagnosis by monitoring internal defects for evidence of faults.

The most important feature of a smart sensor is the ability to communicate, which can be done by displaying the data directly to the user and transfer it over a wired interface wirelessly.

3.Advanced robotics

Advanced robotics is the use of sensors that allow a robot to interact with the real world. The concept of creating machines that can operate autonomously dates back to classical times, but research into the functionality and potential uses of robots did not grow substantially until the 20th century. Throughout history, it has been frequently assumed by various scholars, inventors, engineers, and technicians that robots will one day be able to mimic human behaviour and manage tasks in a human-like fashion. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue; researching, designing, and building new robots serve various practical purposes, whether domestically, commercially, or militarily.

4. Big Data Analytics

Big Data analytics is the process of collecting, organizing and analyzing large sets of data (called Big Data) to discover patterns and other useful information. Big Data analytics can help organizations to better understand the information contained within the data and will also help identify the data that is most important to the business and future business decisions.

5. 3D Printing

3D printing covers a variety of processes in which material is joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional object, with the material being added together (such as liquid molecules or powder grains being fused), typically layer by layer.

6.Augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) is one of the biggest technology trends right now, and it’s only going to get bigger as AR ready smartphones and other devices become more accessible around the world. AR let us see the real-life environment right in front of us. Perhaps the most famous example of AR technology is the mobile app Pokemon Go, which was released in 2016 and quickly became an inescapable sensation.

7.Cloud computing

In its most simple description, cloud computing is taking services (“cloud services”) and moving them outside an organization’s firewall. Applications, storage and other services are accessed via the Web. The services are delivered and used over the Internet and are paid for by the cloud customer on an as-needed or pay-per-use business model.

8.Location Detection

Several technologies can provide real-time information about the location of devices, and hence the location of users of the devices. The types of devices that can be located include mobile telephones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants and gaming consoles. There are many location detection technologies, such as the global positioning system (GPS)

Read more about India and Industrial Revolution in next part, INDIA AND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 4.0 Part-2.