Shaping Automation Trends in 2024

In the forthcoming year, there will be a profound transformation in the automation landscape, with several key trends shaping the future of industries and workplaces.

- VIDUSHI SAXENA

One of the most evident trends is the implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning into automated processes, allowing systems to adapt and learn from real-time data, increasing their versatility and efficiency. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are also gaining popularity, operating with human workers in the manufacturing and service sectors. Furthermore, the rise of edge computing is decentralizing automation, allowing for faster decision-making and lower latency, making it perfect for applications like self-driving cars, smart cities, and IoT devices. With a growing emphasis on sustainability, automation increasingly focuses on environmentally beneficial practices such as energy-efficient procedures and waste minimization, heralding a greener future. As we approach 2024, these trends promise to transform industries, boost productivity, and reshape our work and lives. To shed light upon the same, we present a cover story featuring industry insights from Graham Curren, CEO of Sondrel; Ashish Gaikwad, MD, Honeywell Automation India Limited; Sougandh KM, Country Manager of India, Universal Robots; Robinson Philipose, Co-founder and CEO ARAPL RaaS; Bharanidharan S, Chief Manager, Software, Addverb.

AI/ML’s Transformative Impact on Automation Technologies

According to Graham Curren, CEO of Sondrel, AI, and ML bring intelligence to automation, which requires two things – gathering raw data to provide awareness and computing power to process this into actions. Both of these require increasingly advanced electronic chips to process as much as possible locally rather than sending over to the cloud, as this reduces latency and power usage. This approach is called EDGE AI.