Sensor Technology
Optical sensor systems are the eyes of automation technology and have so far been used for specific, clearly defined tasks: for example, as light barriers and barcode readers. A control unit evaluates the data and sends corresponding instructions to an actuator, which converts the commands, for example, into motion: The door opens when the light barrier is interrupted. Irrespective of their actual task, the sensors also provide a great deal of other information that has so far remained unused. Industry 4.0 is set to change this.
In the past, sensors, control units, and actuators were usually directly linked to each other via point-to-point connections. Following the example...
