Wireless Communication in Industrial Applications

Tomorrow's production facilities will be more flexible and efficient by incorporating new technologies, like massive wireless sensor networks, intelligent logistics solutions, human-machine-cooperation and a tight-knit communication connecting all of these systems. The rise of mobile machines and the required ability for reconfiguration of static production facilities fosters the use of wireless communication technologies. However even communication technologies that provide features specialized for industry, like 5G, will not be able to fulfill all requirements of the industrial environment simultaneously. We show this by analyzing the requirements of industrial use cases and comparing them to the performance of current and future communication technologies. We introduce current fields of research, which focus on technologies and strategies used in the factory context for solving these challenges. To do so the factory of the future will use multiple communication technologies and those need to be orchestrated properly.