Intelligent machines Interoperable systems for tomorrow’s production Unimaginable only a few years ago, but this knowledge with processes and few years back. Wherever the journey already entirely normal today: devices of systems in an intelligent way. These are takes us – in the future too, intelligent all kinds – whether autonomous lawn- parameters that are required for suc- robots will form the sturdy backbone mowers, thermostats, lamps, cars or cess in the networked world of IoT and of industrial production. They will not simply kitchen appliances – nowadays, Industrie 4.0. At the same time, they only be tethered within cells as we knew almost everything is capable of contact- take on a range of di昀昀erent guises. We them in the past, but provided with new ing other gadgets or data sources via know them as 3D printers, CNC machines intelligence, apps that are simple to inte- the Internet. Now, it is time to make or indeed as robots – probably the grate and give them new capabilities industrial production more agile, more most generic and versatile machine that at a click, or cloud-based functions that intelligent and more e昀昀icient along the human beings have ever thought up. turn them into active players in the same lines. This is done by endowing 昀氀exible, autonomously operating smart machines with the ability to develop factory. In contrast to Isaac Asimov’s themselves in an evolutionary way in a The backbone of the fourth industrial visions, this is not science 昀椀ction, but diverse range of forms and con昀椀gurations. revolution – intelligent robots actual, progressive reality. Among other things, they possess the capability of communicating with other 阀阀 recognized the potential of net- systems via the cloud – with production, worked and open automation systems workpieces or other machines. back in the 1990s. For example, in 1998 we introduced the world’s 昀椀rst inter- Intelligent machines that support operable, web-capable industrial robot humans cleverly, powerfully and safely onto the market. Possibly, it was those during their everyday work are a reality. machines that provided the impulse for Not in the humanlike form as Isaac Asimov the evolution which we currently know forecast in the 1950s: this is where as Industrie 4.0, or the fourth industrial reality departs from 昀椀ction. Machines revolution. It is a fact that no robot that join, assemble, transport and so today has any future unless it is capable on do not have to look like people. For of being integrated into complex, net- all intents and purposes, they only have worked production systems on the basis to accomplish three things: they must of standardized mainstream technologies. carry out their task as e昀昀iciently as And robots are continuing to develop possible, be able to adapt to new frame- further. In a variety of forms and con昀椀- work conditions as quickly as possible gurations, they are conquering areas and, in the future, be capable of sharing which were still closed to them only a 34�35