I've been to several great industry user group events in the past several months, and one thing is obvious: the PLCs, machines, processes and enterprises are getting connected. Smart Industry, or the fourth industrial revolution, is approaching quickly. Connections to the controllers and edge devices are leading to actionable data and improved efficiency by increasing an asset’s useful life, reducing downtime and optimizing performance.

By looking at how things are getting connected and adding real scientific advances, I see a future where the next age will be the Human Internet of Things (HIoT). We will literally be connected to the machines and the Internet.

To learn more about HIoT, read “Will the next age be the Human Internet of Things?” from Control Design.