CEO
Johan
Larsholm Owner/Marke ngManager 0 Automation 2022 Top 7 Trends in the Automation Industry 21st Century Workforce Artificial Intelligence,Automation, andthe Future of Workx VOL 2022ISSUE0213
RANDEK Ola Lindh
TheExponents
Thisisthetransformationthatautomationpromises,andit isspeedingupatanexponentialrate.Fromimproving workplaceefficiencytoaidingincompletingprojectson time,fromdeliveringproductstoenhancingthecustomer experience,automationisprovingtobeacolossaldisruptor inbusinessesarenas. Theadvantagesofautomationareabundant.Automation reducestime,effort,andcost,improvingtheoperational efficiencyofbusinesses.Recurringtaskscanbecompleted faster.Optimallyautomatedprocessesensurehigh-quality resultsastheaspectofhumanerrorisminimal.ofEvolution
ehearpeoplecomplainthesedaysthatWeverythingisbecomingautomated.Therobots aretakingourjobsaway TheAIiscomingfor usall!The'TerminatorScenario,'andallthatdoomand Thegloom.debateof'willAIautomateourjobsaway?'isheating upbytheday.Butwithoutthrowingcautiontothewind,I thinkthatweshouldnotbescaredofthisprocessof widescaleautomation.Afterall,thisisjustevolution runningitscourse.Wearecreatingartificialmindsthatcan accomplishastonishingfeatssothatourmindsandbodies don'thaveto.Mindsthatarenotlimitedbyourphysicality, ourtendencytoerr,ourbiology,oreventheexistential dreadwhichwecall'thehumancondition.'
VOL 2022ISSUE0213
InthisspecialeditionofInsightsSuccessmagazine,'10 MostDisruptiveAutomationCompaniestoWatch,'we arehonoredtofeaturethestoriesofsuchenterprisesleading theevolutionofthemodernworkforceandproviding uniqueautomationsolutionstobusinessesandindustries alike.Also,besuretocheckouttheinterestingarticles writtenbyourdedicatedin-houseeditorialteam. So,sitback,relax,takeabreakfromyourmemes,andput yourphoneonsilent.Becauseitsgoingtobeagreatread!
- Aditya Umale
Fizyrsportsaworld-classautomated'pick&place' softwareforitemsandparcels.Itistrustedbymorethan20 globalleadingintegratorstobuildrobustpickingad stackingcellsusingFizyrvisionsoftwareproduct.
Repetitivetaskscanbecomeboringandtedious.Acompany canallocatemoreengagingactivitiestoitsemployeesby automatingtasks,thusupliftingemployeesatisfaction.
Happieremployees,efficientoperations,andsuperior qualityofworkallenableteamstofocusonimproving customersatisfaction. Thisisthemodernworkforce,andautomationcompanies aretheforemostchampionsleadingtheevolution.These companiesusesoftwareapplicationstoautomatebusiness processessoastonotwastehumanefforttodomundane tasks,freeingthehumanintellecttofocusonmore importanttasksandresponsibilities. Today,thewidespreadadoptionofindustrialautomationis witnessingsteadygrowthwiththedawnofexcitingnew trendssuchasIndustry4.0,IoT,5G,smartdevices,andthe highdemandforlarge-scalemassproductionacrossvarious industries.Sufficedtosay,thedemandforautomation companiesisatanall-timehigh. MeetingthisdemandisRandek–apioneerincreating innovativeautomationsolutionsforcustomerswithinthe prefabricatedhousemanufacturingindustry.Oneofthe world'sleadingsuppliersofhigh-performancemachines, Randekprimarilyleveragesitstechnologytobuildthemost advancedandsustainablebuildings! Anotheremergingnameintheautomationindustry,AXYN Robotique,isonthemissiontoputroboticsattheservice ofhumans,everywhereandinallcircumstances.The company's'telepresencerobots'allowpeopletoattain ubiquity;peoplecanbevirtuallypresentatmultipleplaces inproximityoftheirlovedonesandcollaborators.
A Leading Robotics and Automation ProSolutionvider doks.innoRobotiqueAxynvationGmbh Bringing Digitization into Warehouse Management Raj Kapoor 24 28 36 16 Articles AUTOMATION 2022 ST21 CENTURY WORKFORCE Top 7 Trends in the Automation Industry Arti cial Intelligence, Automation, and the Future of Work 20 32 Fizyr B. V. Automating Human Tasks by High-qualityDevelopingComputerVisionSoftware CxO
C O N T E N T S CoverStory Building the Future with Disruptive Technologies 08 RANDEK
sales@insightssuccess.com February, 2022 Circulation Manager Tanaji Research Analyst Eric Smith Editor-in-Chief Pooja M Bansal Anish MillerSenior Editor Kelly, DavidBusiness DevelopmentManagingExecutivesEditor Sherin RodricksBusiness Development Manager Abhishaj Sajeev Art & Design Head Art & DesignVisualiserAssistant David King Co designer Rohil MrunalineeShinganapurkarDeshmukh Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza Technical Consultants Prachi, Rajeshwari Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head SME SMO Executives Gemson Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni Copyright © 2022 Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd., All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success. Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ www.twitter.com/insightssuccess Corporate Ofce Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-859-2600 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com We are also available on : RNI No.: MAHENG/2018/75953 Sales Executives Mark, Alice Amar Sawant Assisting Editors Trishika, Aditya Paul Belin
MichaelMDGürtner
PowerAutomationisajointventureformedin1996betweenSP GroupandSiemens,providinginnovativeandcutting-edge technologiesthathelptodeliverPowerSystemControl, SubstationAutomation,SmartGridandMetering,andProtection Systems.
turTurckck.com
doks-innovation.cominverterdrive.comInverterfizyr.comDriveSupermarketAXYNRoboticsaxyn.frdoks.InnovationCLXEngineeringclxengineering.com
PhoenixContactistheglobalmarketleaderandinnovatorfor electrification,networking,andautomationonthepathtoa smartworld.
PowerRonanrandek.comABEngineeringronan.comAutomationPteLtdpa.com.sgPhoenixContactphoenixcontact.com
Frank StrategicSoftwarefounderFounderAnjeauxandCEOMikeBecker,Co-andSeniorDeveloperandChristianSproedt,SalesManagerHerbertTenHaveCEOColinGibsonDirectorFrankStührenbergCEO
Randekisapioneerincreatinginnovativeautomationsolutions forcustomerswithintheprefabricatedhousemanufacturing industry Ronanprovidesindustry-changinginstrumentationthatmakes industrialplantoperationssaferandmoreefficient
Featuring BriefCompanyName KevinPresidentWilcox FizyrB.V.
Randek
Turckisyourglobalautomationpartnerforautomating factories,processesandlogisticsacrossnumerousindustries.
Fizyrdesigns,builds,andinstallsastandardizedcomputer visionsoftwarethatdetectsunknownobjectsvaryinginshape, size,colour,materialorstacking.
BenjaminTay
Owner/MarketingJohanCEOLarsholm,ManagerandOlaLindh,CEOMikeZaharnaCEO
doks.innovationoptimizesinventoryprocessesinintralogistics withmoderntechnology,forexampledrones,andsoftwarethat processesvisualdata.
AxynRobotiqueisaFrench-basedstart-upcreatedaroundthe projectofproposinginnovativeroboticsolutionstothemany CLXEngineeringspecializesincustomengineeredsoftware andcontrolsystems.Overtheyears,thecompanyhasprovento itsclientsthatitiscustomer-focused,abletoinnovatenew solutionsandremaincost-effective.
TheInverterDriveSupermarketisanIndustrialAutomation Distributorspecialisinginstartersandspeedcontrollersfor electricmotors-specificallyACVariableFrequencyInverter, DCThyristorandServoDrivesaswellasSoftStarters,motors andancillarycomponents.
Building the Future with Disruptive Technologies “ “ Randek has products from manual systems to fully automatic ones. It has a robust technology platform (software, mechanical design, etc.) developed over decades and a strong market presence.
Littledidanyofusimaginethatthesci-fimovies wewatchedinchildhoodwouldbecomea reality.Butitisafactthatwearewitnessing emergingtechnologiesineverysectoreveryday,andthe saying,‘swimagainstthetide,’cannotbeappliedhereif youwanttobesuccessful.Theautomationindustryisno exceptiontothisfact. Technologyhasmadeonethingloudandclearforthe automationindustry-ifmanufacturerswanttohavea strongholdinIndustry4.0revolution,itisimperativeto incorporatetechnologieslikeartificialintelligence, machinelearning,andthelike.
The 10 Most Disrup ve Automa on Companies to Watch Volume 1
Videohere:RandekZeroLabor3.0-YouTube GeneralRandekdelivershigh-qualitysolutions.The company’semployeesaredown-to-earthpeopleowingto whichitiseasytodobusinesswiththem.TheirUSP includesdevelopingmachinestogetherwithcustomers. Randekhasproductsfrommanualsystemstofully automaticones.Ithasarobusttechnologyplatform (software,mechanicaldesign,etc.)developedover decadesandastrongmarketpresence.
AheadoftheraceintheautomationindustryisRandek, apioneerincreatinginnovativeautomationsolutionsfor itscustomers.Wehadtheopportunitytolearnmore abouthowthecompanyisleveragingtechnologiesto deliveritsbestandstandoutoftheherd. TheUSP Randekalwayshadaglobalfocus,withthestrongest beinginEurope,NorthAmerica,andAustralia.Ithasthe highestcapacityandautomationlevelforwalls(auto wall,zerolaboursystem),floors(autofloorsystem),roof trusses(AutoEyeTrussSystem).Itisatechnologyleader inthebusiness.Thecompany’slatestlaunchZeroLabor System3.0isevenmoreautomaticandadaptiveto producebuildingcomponentsinsteelandtimberframes.
Besides,ahigh-performingteamacrosstheRandek familyiscurrentlydevelopingcustomizedhighperformancesolutionsforprefabricatinghouse manufacturersacrossfourcontinentsandfortycountries.
Although we need to visit customers, many activities are solved using online services. The pandemic in the long term has increased the demand for automation even more. ,, ,,
EstablishingaStronghold RandekRoboticsisthecompany’staskforceforrobotic solutions.Thissubsidiaryalliancecompanyhasgrownin innovationandhasofferedcompleteroboticsolutionsfor industrialcompaniesfor20years.Thecustomersare mainlywithinthehousingindustry Simplicity,security,higheroutput,andproductivityhave beeninstrumentalinincreasingprofitabilityandmaking Randek’sserviceunique. Randekhasdevelopedandmanufacturedhighperformancemachinesandsystemsforprefabricating walls,floors,ceiling,rooftrusses,cutsaws,butterfly turningtables,andspecializedmachinerysincethe T1940s.oday,90percentofRandek’sproductionisbeing exportedfromitsfactoryinFalkenberg.
TheTorchbearers OlaLindh,CEO,andJohanLarsholm, Owner/MarketingManager,havealongexperiencein thisbusinessandhavebeenactiveatRandekformany years.OlastartedhiscareeratRandekasadesign managerandhasbeenCEOforapproximately10years.
BeatingthePandemic’sChallenges Likeeveryothersector,theCOVID-19pandemicthrew challengesattheautomationindustry,andRandekwas noexception.Butthecompanydidnotgiveupinthe faceofchallengesandhassustainedoperationswhile
Ola Lindh CEO Johan Larsholm Owner/Marke ngManager.
T E S T I M O N I A L S T E S T I M O N I A L S
ensuringthesafetyofitsemployees.
RobustOperations Havingbravedthechallengesposedbytheglobal pandemic,Randeknowboastsofonceagaincapturing themarketwithitsoriginalzealandinnovations. “Salesarecurrentlyverystrong,andourproduct portfoliowillmostlikelyincreasethedemandeven more,”saidOla. “We have found the build quality of AutoEye to be excellent and the software reliable and robust.
Randek’s aftersale service has been very good with the ability of remote management of the system." –
Graeme Footer, Owner Randek is an important supplier for us. Our new production line will enable us to double the production rate, and we will be able to produce our new multifamily type of houses faster.” – Skanska and Ikea, BoKlok
“Initially,thecustomersreducedactivitytoseehowthe pandemicwouldaffecttheirbusiness.Aftersometime, businesswentbacktonormal.Currently,thebusinessis solid.Althoughwehaveabigneedtovisitcustomers, manyactivitiesaresolvedusingonlineservices.The pandemicinthelongtermhasincreasedthedemandfor automationevenmore,”sharedOla.
kimberly Khoury Paving her Way in Sustainability Development & & The 20 BUSINESSWOMEN to Watch, 2020 Most
AxynRobotique A Leading Robotics and Automation Solution Provider
1-TheUbboRangeoftelepresencerobots(UbboMaker, UbboExpert,andEdmo)and 2-TheLoboRangeofautonomouslogisticdevices
Alltheseproductsareentirelydesignedandmanufactured atAxyn'spremisesnearAix-en-ProvenceintheSouthof France.Theyallhaveincommontheirhighversatility.Asa matteroffact,wetakethebenefitsofourfullymodular robotbasetocustom-buildaversionforeachspecific Thisapplication.ishowwehavedevelopedEdmotomeetspecific needsaroundtheeducationsectorinconjunctionwiththe FrenchMinistryofEducation.AversionofUbboExpert wasdevelopedtomeettheneedofthefast-growing Industry4.0hasbeenelaboratedwithCapgeminior anotheronewasproposedtomeetthespecificneedin seniorhousesandvariousplayersofthesilver
Thereeconomyareasofdateover800robotsinactionin thosevariousfields.Oneofourstrongholdsonthe automationmarkettodayisthecapacityofAxyn tomergebothourstrongpointssuchas telepresenceandautonomousrobotintoone One of Axyn's strongholds in the automation market today is the capacity to merge both its strong points such as telepresence and autonomous robot into one single combined solution.
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OneprominentEuropeanleaderintheroboticsspaceis AxynRobotique,promotingtheconceptof'Roboticsfor InHuman'.thefollowinginterview,FrankAnjeauxtheFounder andCEOshedslightonthecompany'sjourney,thecurrent industryscenario,andhisvisionforthecompany'sfuture. PleasebriefouraudienceaboutAxynRobotique,its USPs,andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleading providerofautomationsolutions. AxynRobotiqueisaFrench-basedstart-upcreatedaround theprojectofproposinginnovativeroboticsolutionstothe many ThewholeDNAofthecompanyiswrittenaround theobjectiveofcreatingrealusagevalueratherthan sophisticatedbutpurposelesstechnicalobjects. Wehavethereforedesignedourproductsonlyafterin-depth consultationwithrealplayersinvariousfieldssuchas Education,Health,orIndustry4.0sectors.Axynistoday oneoftheprominentEuropeanleadersintelepresence robots.Weintendtoreachverysoonasimilarpositionin theintelligentlogisticrobotsoffering. Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace. TodayweoffertotheEuropeanmarkettwomaintypesof roboticsolutions:
Technologyhasemergedasablessing,makingour lifeeasierandsimple,androboticsisoneofthe significantexamples.Evenduringthepandemic, roboticsandautomationhasprovidedexcellentresultsin everyfieldwhetheritishealthcare,education,orlogistics.
Frank Anjeaux Founder and CEO
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Wehaveimplementedallregulatorysafetymeasures(and beyond)anddidnotexperienceasignificantimpactonour productionflow.Someofourcomponentsandpartshave suffereddelaysindeliveriesbutnottotheextentof significantlyimpactingtheproductioncycle. Itmustbepointedoutthatwehavereceivedlargeandvery helpfulsupportfrombothpublicandprivatesector partners/vendorsthathavegreatlyhelpedAxyninthose difficultperiods. Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche? Thecrucialpointisnottoneglecttheindustrialization phase.Withtoday'stoolssuchas3Dprinters,easily programmableandinexpensiveelectronicboards,ithas becomeveryeasytogofromanideatoaworking Thisprototype.hasallowedmanyinnovativesolutionstoemerging andhashelpedthecreationofmanystartups.Thiseaseof implementationhasneverthelesshadanegativeeffecton someentrepreneurswhobelievethat,iftheirsystemworks, itisthenenoughtosellit.
ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingyour companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployees? COVID-19isatthesametimeanopportunityanda challengeforus.Itisanopportunityinthewaythatithas stressedtheneedforefficientlong-distancecommunication mediaactivelyhelpingtomaintainsocialandprofessional linksandinteractionwithoutphysicalpresence. Ourtelepresencerobotsarecurrentlyhelpingmanypatients toconnectwiththeirdistantfamiliesandmanydistant workerstointeractwiththeirdistantcompaniesand colleagues.Asfarasinternalorganizationisconcerned, althoughweremainarelativelysmall-scalecompany COVIDhasbeenachallenge.
singlecombinedsolutionthatoffersauniqueabilityto createunprecedentedusagevalueinseveraldifferent applications. Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions?
TheadoptionofAIandmachinelearningtechnologiesis notanecessity,atleasttoday.Severalmanufacturing processesandindustriesfundamentallydonotneed artificialintelligence.Itisthereforeessentialforthesuccess ofthistransitionnottogooverboardinwantingtoswitchto all On"AI".theotherhand,itspacedandcarefulintroductioncan revolutionizetheindustrialworldasitistoday.The importantfactorsonwhichitisnecessarytoimpactarethe arduousnessofhumanworkandthecostoflabor AIwith roboticscangoalongwaytoimprovingthis. Today,thelowcostoflaborhasallowedcountrieslike Chinatodeveloptremendously,becominginafewdecades' majorworldeconomicplayers.Thishasnotbeenwithout causingsignificantecologicalproblems,aconsiderable reductionintheindustrialactivityinEuropeandNorth America,andthereforeeconomicdependencevis-à-vis thesesamecountries.
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Artificialintelligencecoupledwithmechatronicdevices suchasrobotsallowsandwillincreasinglyallowthe performanceofautomatictasks.Thisautomationwilllead toconsiderablereductionsinlaborcosts. Butthistransitionmustbemadeinathoughtfulwayby focusingontasksthathaveasignificantROIandthosethat havenorealaddedvalue,suchasrepetitive,daunting, and/ordangeroustasks.Itisindeednecessarytoconsider thehumanside.
Theuseofartificialintelligenceandautomationshouldnot havetheobjectiveofreplacingmanbutofrelievinghimin hisdailylife.Otherwise,theuseofAIcouldcausemore problemsthanitsolves,suchasunemployment. Iftheseconsiderationsareconsidered,artificialintelligence willrevolutionizetheglobalindustry.Forexample,itwill bepossibleforasmallcompanytoacquireamulti-tasking industrialsystemcapableofcarryingoutin-situwhattoday requiresseveralprocessescarriedoutbyseveral manufacturersandhencefurtherreducecosts. Itwillthusbepossibletoproduceindustrialproductsas easilyasprototypes.Thenumberofpartstobe manufacturedcanthenbelessimpactingontheirunitprice.
However,industrialization,whichistheintermediatestage betweenthetwophases(creationandmarketintroduction),
"Wereallyhavethefeelingthatthedistantuseriswithus. Arealniceandsimplesolutionforanactualinteraction betweenthelocalteamanddistantusers.”
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Intheindustrysector: FeedbackfromVirginieRigaudeau,HubManagerat SchneiderElectric(France):
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"WeusetheUbborobotforformalorinformalinteraction betweendistantusersandfactoryteammembersona regularbasisinmanydifferentlocationswithinthefactory Itcanbeinternalusers,distantcustomers.Theycanenjoya trulyimmersiveinteractionwiththepersonnelon-site."
isessentialforthesuccessoftheproject.Itoptimizesthe producttoallowprofitablemanufacturingingreateror lesserquantities. Thiscangeneratetoolingandmanufacturingcoststhatmust beconsideredintheROI.Besidesthat,thereisthe normativeaspectthatshouldnotbeoverlooked,especially inautomation.Thesafetyofpeople,thematerialsused,the actualusagesarefactorstobeconsideredforthesuccessof theproject. Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022? Theyear2022willbeascalechangerforAxyn.TheLobo rangeofautonomousrobotswillenteritsfirstfull productionyearwithaserialversiontobereleasedinthe Severalmarket.largeprojectsthatwerematuringin2020and2021 withprestigiouspartnerssuchasOrange(FrenchTelecom operator),Capgemini,SchneiderElectric,andseveral otherswillreachtheirfullpotentialinthiscomingyear Thiswillleadtoasignificantincreaseinbothvolumesof productionandobliviouslyturn-over IntheHealthsector: ThedirecttestimonyofDr.PascalMeyer,Anesthetist PhysicianatForcillesHospital(Cognacq-JayFoundation): "WeusedtheUbborobotinthepost-intensivecare rehabilitationunitduringconfinementwhenfamilyvisits wereprohibited.Ourpatientsarepeoplewitha tracheostomy.Mosthaveaphysicaldisabilitythatdoesnot allowthemtoholdasmartphone.Wehaveallowedmany peopletoseetheirlovedonesandhaveexpandedthe possibilitiesofvisitation.Avideoconferencewasmadeover 3500kilometers.Thisvisitwouldneverhavehappened withouttherobot.Ithasmanyadvantages:
Second:Thepracticalaspectofcommunication. Indeed,theheadoftherobotisplacedatasuitableheight forabedriddenpersonorinanarmchair.Sothatthesick persondoesnothavetomaketheeffortofturninghishead todirecthissight.Therobot'sheadismobile,controlledby thepilot,inourcase,thefamily.Itismuchmorepractical thanfixedheadsolutionsthatrequirehumaninterventionto controlthescreen."
-First:Ease Forfamilyandcaregivers,itiseasytouse.Thefamily opensanaccountontheAXYNwebsite.Theprocedureis verysimple.Theroleofcaregiversislimitedtoturningon therobotandbringingittothepatient'sroom. Videoconferencingdoesnotgenerateanadditional workloadthatwouldaffectotheractivities.
Top Industry Trends in the AU O ATION | February 2022 www.insightssuccess.com20
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Newapplicationsforaugmentedrealityareconstantly emerging.ARwilllikelybecomeincreasinglymore incorporatedintosalesinthenextyears.Thenewnormal haschangedthewaywecooperateandlearn,whichisone ofthemainreasonswhythisautomationtrendwill Accordingcontinue.torecentdata,therewillbeanestimated1.7 billionmobileARusersintheworldby2024,upfrom200 millionin2015.Andtherewillbeanestimated1.1billion mobileARusersintheworldin2022. ProcessIntelligence Datathathasbeenmethodicallycollectedtoassessthe individualstepsofabusinessprocessoroperational workflowisknownasprocessintelligence. Processintelligencecanaidintheidentificationof bottlenecksandtheimprovementofoperationalefficiency Automa on 2022
Theautomationindustrykeepsevolvingwithgrowing Followexpectations.thetrailtoknowtherising7trendsinthe automationindustry AugmentedReality Augmentedreality(AR)isatechnologicallyaugmented versionoftherealworldthatiscreatedusingdigitalvisual elements,music,orothersensorystimulation.Itisa developingtrendamongbusinessesthatdealwithmobile computingandcommercialapps.
T henew-ageautomationhasproveditsmettlein revolutionizingbusinesseswithapromiseof fruitfuloutcomes.Redefiningitselfsincetimeand tide,automatizingindustrialprocesseshaseasedouthuman Aseffort.theGreeksandArabsbetween300BCand1200AD wereobsessedwithkeepingprecisetimerecords.In270 BC,afloat-regulatorwasintroducedforawaterclockin PtolemaicEgypt.Thedevicewaslikeaballandcockina modernflushtoilet.Thiswasthefirstfeedback-controlled systemeverdevised. Toreducehumanintervention,theuseoftoolsandgadgets hasalwaysbeenpracticed.Butautomationtakesastep furtherinproducingawiderangeoftechnologiesthat minimizeshumaninvolvementinprocesses.
Acingthemarket Intoday'senvironment,thecompetitionbetweenthe industriesisincreasingrapidly.Thiscompetitiondemands high-qualityandconsistentproductswithacompetitive price.Inahyper-competitiveecosystem,automationwill enhanceconnectivityandreliability.Everythingwillbe accessibleandreadilyavailableinthefutureofautomation, whichappearstobeencouragingEmbraceoutonajourney ofseamlessbusinesssolutionswiththelatesttrendsof automation. Sonali Dhiwar
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Manybusinesseshaveadoptedsustainabilitygoals. Furthermore,whensustainabilitybecomesatopissueona globalscale,automationprovestobeafantastictoolfor gainingabetterknowledgeofanorganization'soperations andimplementingthenecessarychanges.
Automationisseenbymanysecuritysuppliersasawayto improveefficiencyandreducestafforheadcount.Thesurge inthreats,aswellastheveryrealcostofadataleak,has promptedmachinemanufacturerstoimplement increasinglystrictcybersecuritysafeguards.Inorderto combatcybersecuritybreaches,businessesareenhancing stafftrainingandprovidingfullinformationtoconsumers andsuppliers.
Sustainability
Hyper-Automation Organizationsmakeuseofhyper-automationtoquickly discover,assess,andautomateasmanybusinessandIT activitiesaspossible.Itisabusiness-driven,disciplined strategy.Hyper-automationentailsthecoordinateduseofa varietyoftechnologies,tools,andplatforms,suchas artificialintelligence(AI),machinelearning,andeventdrivensoftwarearchitecture. Itscapacitytohelpcompaniesautomateend-to-end operationsandmanagecomplexsupportacrossseveral platformsisalsoworthmentioning.Becauseofthis,hyper automationislikelytobecomeincreasinglypopularinthe nextyears. BigDataAutomation Bigdataisamultibillion-dollarindustry Theamountof datacollectedbyacompany'sbusinessunits,applications, andexternalsourcesisrapidlyincreasing.Fromdigital customertransactionsandInternetofThings(IoT)sensors tosocialinteractionsandsupportservices,it'severywhere. Andit'snotgoingtostop:moreandmoreapplications,for example,arebeinghostedasaserviceonthecloudand withinHadoopclusters. WiththeIoTincreasingthestreamvelocityofdata,bigdata automationisbecomingamustforpracticallyevery enterprise.Whilecustomerswantimmediatedataaccessfor analysis,thefullvalueofdatacanonlybeharvestedand managedthroughsophisticatedandadvanceddata automation. CybersecurityAutomation Cyberattacksinthemoderndayhavebecomemore automated.Ifbusinessestrytodefendagainsttheseattacks manually,thebattlebecomesoneofmanvsmachine,with theoddsstackedagainstthem.
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RoboticProcessAutomation
Costsofenergyandmaterialscontinuetogrow,regulations tighten,andautomationwillshifttowardmoresustainable andrenewableenergysourcesby2022.IndustrialInternet ofThings(IIoT)technologycanaidinthedevelopmentof solutionsthatminimizeenergyconsumption,improve mechanicalefficiency,andreducewaste.
Processintelligenceisasortofautomationthateliminates theguessworkinareaslikepersonnel,budgeting,andSLA estimates,amongotherthings.Processintelligencewill becomeanecessityasfirmsstrivetotransformevery processintoonethatcanbeautomated.
RoboticProcessAutomation(RPA)isasoftware technologythatallowsanyonetoautomatedigital RPoperations.Aisabroadapproachtoautomationdevelopment. Robotscanhandleeverythingfromdataidentificationto allocation,whichiswhytheycancontributetothemajority ofworkplaceautomation.GiventhatRPAcanhelpboost employeeproductivitybyautomatingduplicatework,it's safetoassumethatusageofthetechnologywillskyrocket by2022.
Processintelligence'sgoalistoprovideanorganization withaccurateinformationaboutwhatworkitemsexist,who performsthework,howlongittakestocompletethework, andwhattheaveragewaittimeis.
SummaryGate: Thegatecreatesallnecessarydocumentationanddamage detectionofanobjectmovingthroughthegate.Itprovides allthesolutionstoInboundandOutboundcontrol,asensor systemforautomateddamagedetection,loadingscans, incominggoodsinspections,conveyorsystemsplausibility, andcompletenesscheck.
SummarySky: Outsidedroneandsoftwaresystemforinventory managementofblockstorageoroverviewoflargestorage areas(empties).Withthehelpofdroneimagesandartificial intelligencedifferenttypesofcratescanberecognizedand counted.
SummaryCeiling: Opticalinventorysystemforblockstorageinindoor warehouses.Multiplebattery-poweredcameramodulesare
The 10 Most Disrup ve Automa on Companies to Watch Volume I | February 2022 www.insightssuccess.com24
Bringing Digitization into Warehouse Management Evidently,thedigitaltransformationhasopenedthe doorstonumerousopportunitiesandpossibilities forvarioussectors,andthelogisticindustryhasnot beendevoidofthesedigitalchanges.Today,the inefficienciesintheprocesseshavebeenreduced,more packagesarebeingdelivered,productionhasbecomecosteffective,andwhatnot. Allthesechangescomedowntowhereallthegoodsare stored.Andthus,drivingdigitizationinthewarehouse becomesofutmostimportance.Ifthequestionarises,how canitbeimplemented,doks.innovationhasgotallthe doks.innovationanswers.isbreakingnewgroundsinwarehouse managementwithinventivenessandpioneeringspirit. WeatInsightsSuccesscaughtupwithMikeBecker,the Co-founderandSeniorSoftwareDeveloper,and ChristianSproedt,theStrategicSalesManager,tolearn moreaboutdoks.innovation.. Below are the highlights of the interview: Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingprovider ofautomationsolutions. doks.innovationGmbHwasFoundedin2017locatedinthe centralEU(Kassel,Germany).Indoks,about30employees areworkingintwocentralproductlines(Inventoryand WSummary).ebuildandprovideautonomoussolutionsfor intralogistics.Yearningtodigitizetheworldoflogistics,it aspirestocontributetothegrowingIndustry4.0.Theworld oflogisticsisconstantlyfacingnewchallenges.Our productsarestrivedtosolvethesechallengesand revolutionizetheworldoflogistics.Theproductsaimto drivethesupplychainefficientlywithautonomous technologies,decreaseexpenses,andincreasesafetyin warehouses. Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace. Indoks,therearetwoproductlines-inventoryand summary InventoryXL: Autonomousinventorymanagementsystemwithina warehouse(palletrack)consistingofan AMR(autonomousmobilerobot)andadrone.Thedrone andtheAMRrelatetoapowerlinetoprovidefivehours operationtimeofthesystem.Theonlyelementwhichneeds tobeputasfixedinfrastructureisthechargingstation.
Mike of(FounderBecker,HeadSoftware)
Wetakeyour logisticstothenext levelandprepare yourcompanyfor thechallengesofa digitisedfuture.
Christian Sproedt(Sales)
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Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche? Findaprocesstoautomateandjusttryit.Thereisalways roomtoimproveprocesses. Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022? Currently,focusonnearbycustomerswithafocuson CentralEUandtheUKtohaveahighlevelofsupportand endof2022addScandinaviaandthefirstoversearegions.
ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingyour companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployees?
Ontheotherhand,itisagreatopportunitytoshowand provethatautomatedandautonomoussolutionshavea hugebenefit–asnoonemustattend.Overall,wewouldsay theautonomousconceptsbecomemoreacceptedduringthe pandemicphase.
Inventorymanagementbyflexibledroneisstartingto gatherseriousweightasaworkableconceptandwillscale upwitheachpositivecommentofcustomersusingitona regularbasis.Ofcourse,therewillbealsoanewfeature, whichisindevelopment.Forexample,weplantodetect rackdamageswiththesystemsanddoboxcounting.
Mike,Christian,pleasebriefusaboutyourindividual journey'sintheindustryandhowhaveyoucontributed towardsthecompany'ssuccess.
Centralforusisthatwecanofferaproductthatdoesnot needdailyserviceorsupportbutcanoperatethewholeyear withonlyayearlycheck-up.
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MikeBecker:IamtheCo-Founderofdokswith8yearsof experienceinthedroneindustriesmainlyinvolvedin SoftwareandHardware.Iamleadingthesoftwareteamto createthebestsolutionforautonomousinventory managementonthemarket.
ChristianSproedt:IamChristianSproedt,havebeeninthe logisticsindustryfor10years.MasterofTechnical Logisticsandholdpositionsinprojectplanningand purchasing,lastpositionisheadofcontractlogisticsat consultingcompany.
Covidwasandischallengingastheoptionfortestingat warehousesandpresentingourproductsaremainly reduced.Therefore,thedevelopmentofnewfeatureswas sloweddownasthetestingtimewasreduced.
Iamtotallyconvincedthatlogisticsmustbemoreopento newtechnologiesandautonomoussolutions.Logistics serviceprovidersnotdoingthiswillvanishfromthe market. Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions? Itisgettingtougherandtoughertogetstafftodomany jobs,especiallyinthelogisticsindustry.WithAIand machinelearningmanytaskscanbeautomatedandthestaff canfocusonmorevaluabletasks.Especiallythe stocktakingprocessisanon-valuabletask,whichmustbe done.Automizethesetasksleavethestaffmoreroomtoadd valuetothecompany
attachedundertheceilingtocreateatopviewofthe warehouse.Withthehelpofimagesandartificial intelligencedifferenttypesofcratescanberecognizedand counted.
Fizyrdesigns,builds,andinstallsastandardizedcomputer visionsoftwarethatdetectsunknownobjectsvaryingin shape,size,colour,materialorstacking.Itsrobustalgorithmsprovideover100applicablegraspposeseach second,includingclassificationtohandleobjectsdifferently,whileperformingqualitycontrols.Justasthecamera andgripperaretheeyesandarmsofarobot,thevision softwareisthebrainthatanalyzestheimageanddirectsthe robottomoveaccordingly.Fizyristrustedasastrategic partnerbygloballeadingintegrators,thankstoitsfully scalableandprovensoftware-onlyproduct,forwhichwe providefullinsightandcontroltoinstall,manage,update andsupport.Weempowersystemintegratorstobuild cutting-edgesolutionsfortheindustry’sendusers,in multiplehigh-demandindustries,suchase-commerce, micro-fulfilment,parcelhandlingandmore. We o er a standardized AI-based software product that allows robots to cope with high variation of objects in automated picking and placing applications.
Automating Human Tasks by Developing High-quality Computer Vision Software herewerethedayswhenindustrializationwasaTsynonymoftextileindustryonly,andtheartisans weretheindustrialworkers.Buttheindustrial revolutioninventedpowerlooms,andthejuggernautof automationbeganitsjourney.Back-to-backindustrial revolutionstransformedthemedievalworldintothe modernage.Thefirstthreeofthem,i.e.,thesteamengine, ageofscience,andmassproduction,acceleratedtheworldsavinghumanefforts,costs,andmoney However,thejuggernautofautomationkepttraveling,and today,ithasreachedthestation,wheretheglobeisdigital–thefourthindustrialrevolution.Humaneffortswerefirst replacedbyanimals,animalsreplacedbymachines,andto controlthesemachines,robotsarrived.Today,theserobots aredeployedineverysector,especiallytoperformrepetitivetasks.Theserobotscanmoveinsixdegreesoffreedom andoperateinX,Y,andZplanes. Inthisfast-pacedworld,timeismoney,andtheserobots helptosavetimebyperformingrepetitivetasks.However, theyfollowthepathwhichisinscribedbythesoftware programs.Lookingatthegrowingmarket,manycompanies startedtoprovidesoftwaretoautomateroboticmovements. Fizyrisonesuchcompanythatoffersastandardized softwareproduct,basedonartificialintelligence,that allowsrobotstocopewithhighvariationofobjectsin automatedpickingandplacingapplications.
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Inourquestfor‘The10MostDisruptiveAutomation CompaniestoWatch’,Mr.HerbertTenHave,CEOof Fizyr,sharedhisendeavorwithus.Heelaboratedonthe company'sworkcultureandthefutureaspects.Following arethedetailsoftheinterview: PleasebriefouraudienceaboutFizyr,itsUSPs,andhow itiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingproviderof automationsolutions.
Fizyr B. V.
ApplyingFizyr’sproductisastrategicchoiceforwhichwe providefullinsightandcontroltoinstall,manage,update andsupport.Welicenseastandardizedproductforautomatedpicking,placing,andstackingtosystemintegrators andendusers.Ourcomputer-visionsoftwareistrainedwith auniquedatasetwithmillionsofimagesofchallenging logisticsenvironments,proposingthebestpossiblegrasp poses.Appliedinproductionallovertheworld,itempowerstheroboticautomationofleadingsystemintegratorsand endusers,inonlineretail,warehousingandparcelservices.
Fizyr’ssoftwareisalsohardwareagnostic,givingclients thefreedomtochoosethebestcamera,robot,andgripper fortheirautomatedpickingcell.Webelieveinthevalueof Fizyr’sindependencyandwantourclientstobeabletouse openstandardsandchoosetheirhardwaretoassemblethe bestpossiblepickingcells.
Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace. Insucharapidlygrowingmarket,logisticscompanies expectrobotstoperformtheirtasksaspredictedandagreed.
Theitemsandparcelstendtohaveahugevariationinterms ofsizes,materials,colors,andplacement,whichtraditional logisticssystemscannotaccountfor.Ine-commerce,there aremillionsofSKUs(StockKeepingUnits),thousandsof whichcannotbeprogrammed.Therefore,theadoptionof technologiessuchasAIanddeeplearninghasthepotential tochangethefaceoftheindustry.
Herbertisaninnovativebusinessleaderwith morethanthreedecadesofexperienceinbuilding high-techproductsandservices. Thankstohisexpertiseandknowledgeofthe industry,hegearedthebrilliantDelftRobotics teamtowardssuccess,thus,leadingtoanunprecedentedimpactontheautomationindustry.He proactivelyengagedthecompanyinrecognizing industryproblemsandsolvingthemwhilestaying committedtobuildingthebestvisionsoftware productandprovidecutting-edgeroboticpicking solutionsforthelogisticsindustry.
AbouttheLeader Herbert Ten Have CEO
Althoughthecompanypurelyfocusesonsoftware,Fizyr alsolicensesthedesignstomodify,3Dprint,andassemble itsproprietarygripper.Thisgrippercanhandlechallenging situations,ensuringeaseinintegrationwithanyrobotina pickingcell. Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions?
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Fizyr’sneuralnetworkistrainedtoclassifyanobject, strategizethepressurerequiredtopickit,andproposethe bestpossiblegraspposestosingulateitfrombulk.Oneof theinitialprojectsmanagedbyFizyrin2017involved enablingrobotstowork24/7andfoldupto720towelsper hourwithLaundryRobotics.Fizyr’scomputervision algorithmswereabletoproposeover100graspposeseach secondonunknownobjects.
Fizyr’sCEO,HerbertTenHave,joinedFizyr (previouslycalledDelftRobotics)inJanuary 2017.DelftRoboticsstartedasaroboticsintegrator.WithinamonthofHerbert’sarrival,the companywontheprestigiousAmazonPicking Challenge.Thisledtothecompanypivoting towardsadeep-learningcomputervisionsoftware-onlyproductandre-brandingtoFizyr.
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ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingFizyrto sustainoperationswhileensuringthesafetyofyour employees? Oneofthemajorchallengesfacedbythecompanywasthe terminationofaprojectbyanItaly-basedclientduetothe direconsequencesatthestartofthepandemic.Consequently,otherclientshesitatedtocontinueprojectoperationsastheyrequiredhardwarecomponents,suchas cameras,grippers,robots,etc.,toconductresearchand development.Thefirstfewmonthswereuncertain,and later,severalclientssawtheopportunityforgrowthininecommerce,micro-fulfilmentandparcelhandling.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche? Herberthighlightstheimportanceofvalidatingassumptions,pushingtheproducttothemarket,andcreatingvalue fortheclientsinthequickestwaypossible.Thequickerthe entrepreneursidentifyopportunities,thebettertheygetto approachtheclientsinanearlyphaseandacquirethe marketbeforefacinganyconsequenceslater.Understandingtherequirementsoftheclientsfromthebeginningcan stimulatecompanygrowth,improvepartnerships,andhelp buildrelationswithpotentialclients. HowdoyouenvisionscalingFizyr’soperationsand offeringsin2022andbeyond?
ThoseclientsmotivatedFizyrtoscaleupitsprocesseseven fasterandofferroboticsolutionstothedynamicindustry Meanwhile,theFizyrteamwasworkingfromhomeand wouldonlyworkfromtheofficeifabsolutelynecessary At thattime,thehugeofficespaceinthepandemicwas reservedforspecificpurposes.Withtherestrictionseasing downintheNetherlandsandthehighvaccinationrate, peoplearemovingbacktotheofficeonaflexiblebasis.
Thefastgrowthofe-commerceandparcelhandlinghas exacerbatedthehumanlaborshortage,whichisexpectedto keeprising.Asaresponse,anincreasingnumberof companieshavestartedtoadoptroboticautomationand implementsolutionsforautomatingpickingandplacing applicationsbothine-fulfilmentandparcelhandling.We believewehavesolvedoneofthebiggestchallengesin logisticsandwehopetoempowerasmanyintegratorsand endusersworldwideaspossible,inanefforttorelievethe pressuresoftheindustry Theproductandmarketareready, soweplantoscaleexponentiallyintheupcomingyears, reflectingsucharapidgrowth.
Fizyrremainsdedicatedtotraining,upskilling,andhelping employeesthriveinthefast-movingindustryofAIand logistics.Thecompanyaimstofocusonpredictableand scalableprocessestoresolvechallengingsituationsand contributetotheindustry
Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Futer of Work
Risingthroughthetidesoftheindustrialrevolution andclimbingtheladderofdigitaltransformation, ArtificialIntelligencehassproutednew opportunitiestopredictthefuture. Whilenooneknowswhatartificialintelligenceholdsfor thefutureofwork,thereisahopeofutilizingAI technologytoboostemploymentopportunities.Thismay alsodevelopnewlinesofbusinessesthatwecannot understandcurrentlybyprovidingnewtoolsfor Companiesentrepreneurs.andsocietyfacethreatsandopportunities becauseofthisrapidtransformation.Theseefficiencygains arecriticalforsociety'slong-termgrowth,particularlyin economieswithrisingpopulations.However,ashighly skilledspecialistjobsthatcomplementnewtechnologies grow,low-skilledandlow-payingjobsthatarenotsuitable forautomationremain,andeverythinginbetweenis renderedobsolete.Thisposesariskofincrementin significantsocialinequalityandhollowingoutthelabor Alongmarket.withthethreatsofAI,therearemultiplesbenefits thatfacilitatemitigatinghumanlaborandpushinga progressiveapproach.
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RedefiningHumanIntelligencewithAISupport Withanabilityofacomputeroracomputer-controlled robottocompletetasksthatwouldnormallybedonebyan intelligentbeing,AIaimsatcreatingsystemswithhumanlikecognitiveabilities,suchastheabilitytoreason,discern meaning,generalize,andlearnfrompastexperiences. Sincetheinventionofthedigitalcomputerinthe1940s,it hasbeenprovedthatcomputerscanbeprogrammedto performextremelycomplicatedjobswithease,suchas findingproofsformathematicaltheoremsorplayingchess andthelistgoeson. OpeningupnewfrontiersofdevelopmentfortheIT industry,automationhasbeenaneyepoppingexperiencein businessoperationandend-consumerexperience.
- Rahul Thakar
intelligence'stransformationalimpactonour societywillhavefar-reachingeconomic,legal,political, andregulatoryeffectsthatwemustexamineandplanfor
Understandingemergingtechnologiesisthefirststep towardfuture-readinessandartificialintelligenceisatthe centerofsustainablebusinesseswithsocio-economic developmentfruition.Understandingitspowersand limitationsiscriticallysignificant.
PredictingtheFutureofWork
AIhasanensuringfutureforeveryindustrythatmoves aheadtowardsaprosperousfuture.ifyouaremappingto skyrocketyourbusinessexperience,AIisyoursolution.
Thebulkofemployment,ontheotherhand,willnotbe replacedbyAItechnologybutratherassistedbyit,allowing employeestoimprovetheirperformanceandsprout efficientsolutions.
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Manyoftheemploymentsweseeinthemarkettodaywill mostlikelybereplacedortransformedbyAItechnology
Theissuesincludedeterminingwhoistoblameifan autonomousvehicleinjuresapedestrianandmanagesa worldwideautonomousweaponsrace,tonameafew Artificialintelligencehasthepotentialtosignificantly increasetheefficiencyofourworkplaceswhilealso augmentingthejobthathumanscanaccomplish.WhenAI takesovermundaneordangerousduties,itfreesupthe humanlabortofocusontasksthatrequirecreativityand empathy,amongotherskills.People'shappinessandjob satisfactionmayenhanceiftheyaredoingworkthatthey enjoyWiththeintroductionofautonomoustransportationandAI affectingourtrafficcongestionconcerns,nottomentionthe variouswaysitwillbooston-the-jobproductivity,our societywillgaincountlesshoursofproduction.Humans willbeabletospendtheirtimeinavarietyofwaysnow thattheyarenolongerboundbyuncomfortablecommutes.
AutomatingExperiences Automationisthedevelopmentanddeploymentof technologiesthatallowgoodsandservicestobeproduced anddeliveredwithlittleornohumaninteraction.Many tasksthatwerepreviouslyperformedbypeoplearenow moreefficient,reliable,andfastbecauseoftheuseof automationtechnologies,techniques,andprocedures. Liketheprogressionofthehumanlifecycle,artificial intelligencewillhavebothbeneficialandnegativeeffects onsocietyasitcontinuestoreshapetheenvironmentwe livein.It'sanyone'sguesshowthatwillbalanceout,andit's atopicofgreatdebateandthoughtamongmany individuals. TheBoomandBustofAI Ourworkforcewillundoubtedlyevolvebecauseofartificial intelligence.Thealarmistheadlinesfocusonthelossof humanemployment,replacedbyrobots,buttheactualissue forhumansistodiscovernewdutiesthatdemandtheir distinctivelyhumanqualities. Ourworkforcewillundoubtedlyevolvebecauseofartificial intelligence.Thealarmistheadlinesfocusonthelossof employmenttorobots,buttheactualissueforhumansisto discovernewdutiesthatdemandtheirdistinctivelyhuman qualities.Thisuncertainty,aswellasthechangesinhow somepeoplewillmakealiving,couldbedifficulttodeal Artificialwith.
Green Bl ckchains - the future of sustainable blockchains
Havingsaidthat,weallareawarethatmostconcerning implicationofblockchaintechnologyfortheenvironment relatestoitsenergyconsumptionand,therefore,itspossible negativeimpactonclimate. However,bitcoinandothersimilarpublicblockchainshave onehugeflaw–theyuseanextremelylargeandgrowing amountofenergy Thewayinwhichtransactionsare securedontheblockchainishighlyenergyintensive.In fact,blockchainscurrentlyaccountfor0.58%ofglobal electricityconsumption,whilstBitcoinminingalone consumesalmostasmuchenergyastheentireU.S.federal Thisgovernment!meansthattoday,whenitcomestodiscussing sustainabilityandblockchaintech,wehavetobalancethe longer-termsystemicbenefitsagainsttoday’surgentneedto reducefossilfuelconsumption.Blockchainhasreacheda criticalmassofcomplaintsaboutitssustainabilityissue.
- by Raj Kapoor –Founder, India Blockchain Alliance Blockchainisarevolutionarydisruptivetechnology andrepresentsachangeofculturalparadigmforthe wayinwhichinformationisshared.Companiesare rushingtounderstandhowtheycanuseblockchain distributedledgertechnologytoinnovateprocesses, products,andtransactions.Inaglobalizedworldwhere environmentalsustainabilityisacriticalsuccessfactor, whatistheroleoftheblockchain? I’mtrulypassionateaboutblockchain’spotentialtocreate positivesystemchange.Addtotheabovethepowerto incentiviseacirculareconomyandrevolutionisethe distributionofcharitabledonations–andwe’restillseeing onlythetipoftheproverbialicebergofworld-changing applicationsthatwillbeenabledbyblockchains.
LikeotheremergingICT-basedtechnologies,blockchain alsoraisesconcernsaboutelectronicwaste(e-waste). Competingminersrequiremoreandmoreefficientmining hardware,leadingtoquickobsolescence,roughlyevery1.5 Theyears.keyistomakeatransitiontowardsgreenrecoveryand co-existwithnature.Anythingshortwillnotsuffice.Infact, thisshouldbeaprerequisiteforaglobalsustainable developmentpathway
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Althoughsurroundedbyvirtuousintentionstoupendthe statusquoandofferanalternativetoanunjustglobal financialsystemcontrolledbycentralbanksandpoliticians, blockchainisfacingseverecriticismfromenvironmental proponentsforitshighenergyuse.
Thecurrentstandardprocessoftransactionverification, basedontheproof-of-workalgorithm,is‘extremelyenergy hungry’.Andthisisdefinitelyharmfulfortheenvironment. Astheadoptionofblockchaintechnologygains momentum,itcouldcounteractclimatechangemitigation efforts,aselectricityremainslargelygeneratedfromfossil fuels Bitcoinworldwide.wasclaimedtobe20000timesmoreenergy intensivethanVisa.Nevertheless,Bitcoinisonlyone cryptocurrency,whichisonlyoneapplicationof blockchain.Wecanonlyimaginetheimpactgoingforward. The“greening”oftheblockchainskickedoffwithoneof themostpromisingsolutions–‘ProofofStake’,a From
About the Author Raj is the Founder of India Blockchain Alliance and an Advisory Board Member at several blockchain companies like 5ire, Floyx and Chainsense UK and the Founder and Chairman of the India Blockchain Alliance, the largest Indian emerging technology tech think tank.
Raj has also spoken at several international seminars and conferences in Boston, LA, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Singapore, Durban, Nicosia and Vienna, Dubai, and Singapore. Raj regularly speaks in Tech events in India, UK, USA, Africa, Malaysia, and Canada and is also a TedX speaker. Besides blockchain, Raj is skilled in AI, Robotics, Cyber Security. IoT, and Cloud Computing. He has spoken in over90 international and national events. Raj has also authored over 15 courses in Blockchain and crypto and is soon publishing a series of books in the blockchain domain.
the Expert | February 2022 www.insightssuccess.com37
He is a global, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency & FinTech Educator, Certied Bitcoin Professional (CBP), Blockchain Solution Architect, and friend of disruptive ideas, protem Chairman for Organization of Blockchain Technology Users (OBTU). He is also the Asia Lead, Technology & Innovation at Blockspace Technologies Ltd.
There’salsoaconsciousdriveamongstthecrypto communitytoaddressthetypeofenergybeingconsumed (orbetter,tousethetechnologytoaccelerateadoptionof greenerenergies).Lastmonth,thenewlylaunchedCrypto ClimateAccord—includingRipple,WorldEconomic Forum,Consensys,CoinSharesandEnergyWeb Foundation—announceditsgoalforalloftheworld’s blockchainstobepoweredby100%renewablesby2025. TheShiftingParadigm
Raj is also a regular contributor to several technology publications including Times Tech India, NDTV Prot, Daily Tribune, Business Standard and more. Raj was also selected this year as a top cryptocurrency and blockchain inuencer by Asian Market Cap. Raj is also mentoring 20+ blockchain start-ups across the Rglobe.ajhas designed and worked on 4 Blockchains, 5 Centralised Exchanges, 3Swaps and 3 DEX's. He is now working with his team on India's own indigenous blockchain with Chainsense Ltd. Raj is also working on the world’s rst sustainable blockchain 5ire, which is aligned with the UNS sustainable Development Goals. consensusmechanismwhichdoesawaywiththe energy-intensiveminingprocessrequiredby‘Proofof Work’,relyinginsteadonnetworkactorsstakingfinancial assetsontheirownfuturetrustworthiness.TheEthereum community,usersoftheworld’ssecond-largest cryptocurrency,havealreadyinvestedcloseto$9bnin transferringtoProofofStakereducingcostsbyover90%.
Raj has helped organize India's biggest Blockchain and Cryptocurrency events across major cities.
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5irechainisalsoalignedwiththeUnitedNations’17global goals.5iredirectlyaddressessocialissueslikeeducation, financialinclusion,poverty,education,climate,renewables, solaramongstothersandpossiblytheworld'sfirst sustainableblockchainecosystem.Notonlyisitaligned, 5irehastokenized17SDGGoalsandscrapeddatafrom 600ESGpoints.Nowthatisinnovation!
Theissueremainswhethertheseniche initiativeswillscaleupandwhethertheirbenefitsareoffset byblockchain’sownenergyconsumption. Butwithincrediblyexcitingapplicationsemergingevery day,andseriousthoughtandinvestmentgoingtowards reducingblockchain’senergyconsumption,wecannever ignorethevalueitcouldbring.Blockchainshavean emergingroleinsustainabilitybyhelpingfoster collaborationsbetweenconsumersandproducers,by assistingpeopleinadoptingmoresustainablelifestyles,and byhelpingcompaniesimprovetheirsourcingandrecycling Wpractices.ithgrowinginnovationintheblockchainspace,Indiais primedtomakeamajorimpact.ESGwillbeanessential partofnext-generationfinanceoperations.ESGwilldrives long-termreturns.COP26andthedecisionsaroundESG willbringagreeninnovationinblockchainandwouldplace India,attheforefrontinaligningwiththeUNSDG’s.That isamatterofpride,andwearehappytobeapartofthis greentechrevolution.
GoingForward Today,wecannotaffordtoignoreblockchain’sgrowing carbonfootprint.However,withambitiouschangesand blockchainslike5ireboththevolumeandthetypeof energythetechnologyuses,wecouldsoonunleashtools withthepowertoincentivisesocialandenvironmental progressatscale.Aswithanynewtechnology,blockchain’s pathfromconcepttopracticalenterprisesolutionsisnot alwaysstraightline. Blockchainapplicationsbeneficialtorenewableenergy diffusion,energyefficiencyandthereductionofenergy consumptionarealsobeingexplored.Infact,IBMand Energy-BlockchainLabsareexperimentingwitha blockchain-basedgreenassetmanagementplatformfor tradingcarbonassetsinChinainamoreefficientway. EnergiMinehasdevelopedablockchain-basedrewards systemthatusesdigitaltokenstoincentiviseconsumersto saveenergy
Itisimportanttonotethatthereareotherversionsofthe ProofofStake(PoS)consensusalgorithmthatdonot requireminingfortransactionvalidationsuchasthepure PoS,theDelegatedPoS,andtheNominatedPoS,however, theflawinthosealgorithmsistheyhavenoconsideration foratransactionvalidators’sustainabilityreputation,and theyinadvertentlysupportcartelisationofconsensusby awardingtransactionvalidationtothosethatstakethemost. Thisway,thelargestholdersofthatparticular cryptocurrencywillendupalwayswinningthecontest, scoringevenmoreoftherewardsandkeepgettingricher
TheSolutionsforToday Infact,therearesomeblockchainsthathavebeenaheadof thiscurveandareactuallymakingthatimpact.Onethat catchestheeyeis5irechain.Notonlydoes5irechainrunon aSustainableProofofStakealgorithmthatdoesnotrequire mining,butalsoitsconsensusalgorithmquantifiesand assignsitsnodesbasedonanode’sEnvironmental,Social andGovernance(ESG)score.Thisslingsseamlesslywith theUNSustainableDevelopmentGoals2030.
The5ire’sSustainabilityProofofStake(SPoS)considers thevalidatorsESGscoreas20%oftheweightinselection ofnodeandincludeotherfactorstomakethenodeselection fairer.Andit’shearteningtoknowthattheFoundersare IndianandarealignedtotheIndianGovernment’s sustainabilityandclimateimpactinitiatives. Iamparticularlyimpressedwiththe5irechainwhichcalls itsconsensusprotocolthesustainableproofofstake (SPoS).SPoShasbeenmademoredemocraticby consideringmultiplefactorsbeyondthestakedamount whenanodeisassignedbasedonStake,Reliability, randomizedvoting,sustainabilityscore(ESG),and previousnomination. Thisway,theSPoSprovidesmajoradvantagesoverother consensusalgorithms.Theseadvantagesgobeyondwhat proofofstake(PoS)consensusmechanismprovidesover proofofwork(PoW)consensusmechanism. Thischainisthe5thgenerationofdistributedcomputing web3.0solution,adecentralizedecosystemthatembeds ESGmetricsintheconsensuslevelandaimstobringa paradigmshiftfromafor-profittoafor-benefiteconomy. Theirgoalistocreateuser-centricsustainability-driven& interoperablepublic,private,andhybridsolutions.By embeddingsustainabilitybothinthenetwork’sbaselayers andintheupperdecision-makingthatdemocratically commandsthenetworkforklessupgrades. Theirecosystemalsodemocraticallyempowers self-governedDAOsthatareactivelyworkingtowardsthe 2030UNSDGsAgendaimplementationandprovidesthem theinfrastructuretoacceleratethisvision.Nowthisshould bethefundamentalpremiseoftheblockchaintechnologyif itistobesustainableandscalable.
