Is it just us? Or did artificial intelligence (AI) just appear overnight out of nowhere? It seems like we should be used to this by now. A new technology appears on the horizon, promising yet another major breakthrough in the future. Then, before you know it, the future is here.
This trend likely results from the fact that technological breakthroughs are happening more quickly and with greater frequency today than at any time in the past. If you think it’s difficult to keep up with on a personal level, imagine what a task it is for instructors to ensure they’re preparing their students effectively for the jobs of the present and future.
Industries across the country and around the world, particularly manufacturing, face a skills gap that leaves hundreds of thousands of positions open simply because the supply of skilled workers is insufficient to meet growing demand. Our educational institutions have been tasked with preparing the next generation of workers, but how do they do that when technology is changing so rapidly?
In this article, we’ll take a look at the history of technological innovation over the years, the present and future impact of advanced automation technologies, and how instructors can prepare their students to succeed in the modern workplace.
How Did We Get Here?
The history of industry in the U.S. and around the globe is really a story about the technological advances that have powered transformative leaps in productivity and efficiency. So let’s start at the beginning. Up until the second half of the eighteenth century, society was primarily agricultural and products were made by hand or with the help of animal power.
With the invention of the coal-powered steam engine, however, products could be produced more quickly and efficiently with machines. This invention kicked off what became known as the Industrial Revolution. Of course, in light of subsequent historical developments, we now refer to it as the First Industrial Revolution.
This process of mechanization led to the creation of the world’s first factories, which would help transform society from agriculture to industry over the course of the next century. This transformation also fueled urbanization, as people moved from farms to cities to work in factories.
Late in the nineteenth century, new sources of energy sparked a new industrial revolution. Electricity combined with the assembly line to usher in the age of mass production. For example, Henry Ford perfected the moving assembly line to mass produce a new invention that would change the world: the automobile powered by the internal combustion engine.
The emerging modern world was also greatly affected by other inventions, such as the airplane, chemical fertilizers, synthetic fabrics, and new modes of communication like the telegraph and telephone. All of the improvements in transportation, materials, and communication led to great leaps in efficiency and productivity.
At this point, things began to speed up. It would not take an entire century for the next major set of changes to come along. The Third Industrial Revolution traces its roots to the 1950s and the birth of the digital age.
Innovations in electronics, such as transistors, semiconductors, and microprocessors, led to the invention of the first computers. For industry, this meant the eventual development of automation in the form of programmable logic controllers and robots.
Advances in telecommunications and automated production lines allowed industries to expand their reach like never before. Formerly localized industries could now compete in a new global marketplace, meshing together the efforts of workers everywhere into a new worldwide economy.
Some questioned whether anything could truly revolutionize industry once again. Then came the Internet. We now live in a “smart” world in which countless devices communicate with other devices via the Internet to make life more convenient in seemingly-endless ways. This infinite web of connected devices even has a name: the Internet of Things.
Industries around the world are combining the Internet of Things with cyber-physical systems and advanced automation technologies to create new smart factory environments. Together, these new technologies hold huge potential for yet another major leap in productivity and efficiency.
Where We’re At
Today, we find ourselves in the midst of the latest transformative event, known by a variety of names such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Industry 4.0. Examples of the new technologies spurring transformation include: AI; machine learning; “smart” or connected product identification and sensors; Ethernet and wireless networking and network security; data analysis and production monitoring software; and manufacturing execution software that automates maintenance tasks.
Of all these technologies, perhaps the one that holds the most potential for continued transformation is AI. While robots and other automation technologies certainly occupy an important and increasing role in manufacturing facilities around the world, AI is all about computers and data.
According to IBM, “[a]t its simplest form, artificial intelligence is a field, which combines computer science and robust datasets, to enable problem-solving. It also encompasses sub-fields of machine learning and deep learning…These disciplines are comprised of AI algorithms which seek to create expert systems which make predictions or classifications based on input data.”
What does AI mean in a practical sense? According to Oracle, “artificial intelligence refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence to perform tasks and can iteratively improve themselves based on the information they collect.” Oracle sums up AI this way:
“AI is much more about the process and the capability for superpowered thinking and data analysis than it is about any particular format or function. Although AI brings up images of high-functioning, human-like robots taking over the world, AI isn’t intended to replace humans. It’s intended to significantly enhance human capabilities and contributions. That makes it a very valuable business asset.”
Manufacturers remain in the early stages of figuring out exactly how machine learning and AI can help them maximize efficiency and productivity. Some of the earliest applications appear to be in the areas of safety and supply chain optimization. Over time, additional applications will be found and it’s more important than ever that the next generation of workers be prepared to work with these technologies when they enter the workplace.
How to Teach Industry 4.0 Fundamentals
How can educational institutions at the secondary and post-secondary level ensure that they’re providing the knowledge and hands-on digital skills that young workers will need to make a difference in the workplaces of today and tomorrow? Fortunately, they don’t have to recreate the wheel.
With more than 30 years of experience, Amatrol remains the world’s leader in technical education training systems and eLearning curriculum. Amatrol recognizes the importance of teaching the relevant digital skills future workers need to thrive in Industry 4.0 jobs. That’s why Amatrol created a multi-year program focused on teaching these specific skills.
Amatrol’s Industry 4.0 Fundamentals (I4F) program was developed by subject matter experts in conjunction with real-world feedback from industry and educational institutions to ensure that students with no background in manufacturing can begin with the basics like industrial safety, hand tool skills, etc. and build to industrial competencies in areas like PLC troubleshooting, mechatronics, and data analytics, as well as learning to program and operate a FANUC robot.
I4F is a two-year program that spans four major courses: Introduction to Mechatronics; Introduction to Industrial Control Systems; Industrial Robot Operations and Programming; and Introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT). This comprehensive training program will both educate and inspire students, because it utilizes a combination of learning methods to give students a robust experience in both theoretical knowledge and hands-on, real-world Industry 4.0 skills.
For example, I4F combines in-depth eLearning curriculum and virtual trainers with relevant skill assessment and hands-on experience with real industrial training equipment. Pre- and post-lesson quizzes, as well as classroom-based skills performance assessments, help learners to understand where their competency is weak or strong and how much they’ve learned from the lessons.
Amatrol’s eLearning offers flexible technical training through superb content with strong interactivity for skill development with 24/7 access. Eye-popping graphics, 3D simulations, videos, and complete explanations combine to develop technical skills for modern Smart Factory manufacturing training.
Amatrol’s hands-on Industry 4.0 training systems are designed by engineers and subject matter experts and loaded with real-world, industrial components for the closest possible experience to working on-the-job. They are heavy-duty and ready to stand up to frequent use and inexperienced users. For times when access to equipment is limited, learners can still gain hands-on experience using Amatrol’s virtual trainers.
Amatrol’s virtual simulators replicate hands-on equipment in such great detail that learners will feel like they are using the actual equipment. Learners perform essentially the same tasks using virtual trainers that they would using the hands-on systems.
Consult with an expert at Amatrol today to learn how you can take the first step toward teaching your students Industry 4.0 Fundamentals that will set them up for success in the modern workplace.
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer in the technical training solutions market.
