INDUSTRY 4.0: FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES & ITS IMPACT A.B.M. Kalim Ullah ACS
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The fourth industrial revolution (4IR), that has been taking shape since the late of the twentieth century, builds upon the third revolution and the digital innovation. 4IR commonly known as Industry 4.0, appears to be changing the way businesses function and, by extension, the stakes by which they are forced to compete. Organizations must decide how and where to invest in these new technologies and identify which ones might best meet their needs. Without a full understanding of the changes and opportunities Industry 4.0 brings, companies risk losing ground. For business leaders accustomed to traditional linear data and communications, the shift to real-time access to data and intelligence enabled by Industry 4.0 would fundamentally transform the way they conduct business. Artificial intelligence, genome editing, augmented reality, robotics, Internet of things, and 3-D printing are the features of the fourth industrial revolution. Technologies and Trend of the fourth Industrial Revolution Industry 4.0 can transform organizations’ processes and operations. In today’s world, one can place orders, pay bills, listen to music, get a ride, get directions, and monitor his/her own health through smartphone. Mobile advancements have changed the way people live and work. But did you ever think about the technologies behind your phone? There are wireless technologies, allowing you to connect to the Internet without a physical cable. There are mobile-friendly apps and websites, specifically designed to work on your phone. It’s the same thing with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Just like the technologies powering your phone, there are 10 emerging technologies Changing the Physical World. Biotechnology: Biotechnology already has had an enormous impact in medicine, agriculture, biofuel production, and the mitigation of environmental pollution. In biotechnology laboratories around the
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world, researchers have successfully edited defective genes that cause inherited diseases; reengineered the genomes of pigs with the goal of growing organs suitable for human transplantation; given people prosthetic limbs that can feel; helped blind people regain functional eyesight. The combination of biotechnology with robotics, computer interfaces, and new materials is leading to future innovations. It’s true that advances in biotechnology invite many ethical questions about genetically modified plants and animals, about changes to the human genome, and the unknown environmental consequences. These questions are just as important as the advances themselves. Robotics: Rapid advancements in robotics are leading to big changes. Robots can do all of these: harvest crops; build cars; move warehouse inventory; assist in surgery and vacuum your floor. With advances in technology, robots are becoming more intelligent, adaptive, and flexible. Researchers are developing prosthetics and improved cybernetic enhancements that merge more deeply with the human body to restore physical capabilities a person lost or even provide new capabilities. As with biotechnology advances, robotics innovations raise ethical and practical concerns, particularly around augmenting the human body and the worry that robots replace workers, resulting in lost jobs. 3D printing: Medical professionals use 3D bioprinting to treat patients, bioprinting is a process to print a transplantable organ. 3D-printer technology creates a physical object by printing layer upon layer from a digital 3D drawing or model. This technology can produce everything from body parts to engine parts. 3D-printer can print shoes, cars, houses, and more. And while 3D printing started with simple materials like plastic, advancements in materials are coming. Imagine 3D printing with aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic, or even biological tissue. Potentially, manufacturers can use these printers to create products in a far more cost-effective and customizable way than they can now.
