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New technologies are developed inside today's companies with the ascent of Industry 4.0 paradigm; Artificial Intelligence applied to Predictive Maintenance is one of these, helping factories automate their systems in detecting anomalies. The deviation of statistical features from standard operating conditions computed on collected data is a common investigation technique that companies use. The information loss due to transformation from raw data to extracted features is a problem of this approach. Furthermore, a common Predictive Maintenance framework requires historical data about failures that often do not exist, neglecting the possibility of applying it. This paper uses Artificial Intelligence as Machine Learning models to recognize when something changes in the data's behavior collected up to that moment, also helping companies to gather a preliminary dataset for future Predictive Maintenance implementation. The aim concerns a framework in which several sensors are used to collect data by adopting a sensor fusion approach. The architecture is composed of an optimized software system able to enhance the computation scalability and the response time regarding novelty detection. This article analyzes the proposed architecture, then explains a proof-of-concept development using a digital model; finally, two real cases are studied to show how the framework behaves in a real environment. The analysis done in this paper has an application-oriented approach; hence a company can directly use the framework in its systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacturing industry often faces challenges related to customer satisfaction, system degradation, product sustainability, inventory, and operation management. If not addressed, these challenges can be substantially harmful and costly for the sustainability of manufacturing plants. Paradigms, e.g., Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, provide effective and innovative solutions, aiming at managing manufacturing operations, and controlling the quality of completed goods offered to the customers. Aiming at that end, this paper endeavors to mitigate the described challenges in a multi-stage degrading manufacturing/remanufacturing system through the implementation of an intelligent machine learning-based decision-making mechanism. To carry out decision-making, reinforcement learning is coupled with lean green manufacturing. The scope of this implementation is the creation of a smart lean and sustainable production environment that has a minimal environmental impact. Considering the latter, this effort is made to reduce material consumption and extend the lifecycle of manufactured products using pull production, predictive maintenance, and circular economy strategies. To validate this, a well-defined experimental analysis meticulously investigates the behavior and performance of the proposed mechanism. Results obtained by this analysis support the presented reinforcement learning/ad hoc control mechanism's capability and competence achieving both high system sustainability and enhanced material reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread adoption of advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, and Robotics, is rapidly increasing across the globe. This accelerated pace of change is drastically transforming various aspects of our lives and work, resulting in what is now known as Industry 4.0. As businesses integrate these technologies into their daily operations, it significantly impacts their work tasks and required skill sets. However, the approach to technological transformation varies depending on location, industry, and organization. However, there are no published methods that can adequately forecast the adoption of technology and its impact on society. It is essential to prepare for the future impact of Industry 4.0, and this requires policymakers and business leaders to be equipped with scientifically validated models and metrics. Data-driven scenario planning and decision-making can lead to better outcomes in every area of the business, from learning and development to technology investment. However, the current literature falls short in identifying effective and globally applicable strategies to predict the adoption rate of emerging technologies. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel parametric mathematical model for predicting the adoption rate of emerging technologies through a unique data-driven pipeline. This approach utilizes global indicators for countries to predict the technology adoption curves for each country and industry. The model is thoroughly validated, and the paper outlines highly promising evaluation results. The practical implications of this proposed approach are significant because it provides policymakers and business leaders with valuable insights for decision-making and scenario planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintenance processes are of high importance for industrial plants. They have to be performed regularly and uninterruptedly. To assist maintenance personnel, industrial sensors monitored by distributed control systems observe and collect several machinery parameters in the cloud. Then, machine learning algorithms try to match patterns and classify abnormal behaviors. This paper presents a new deep learning model called stranded-NN. This model uses a set of NN models of variable layer depths depending on the input. This way, the proposed model can classify different types of emergencies occurring in different time intervals; real-time, close-to-real-time, or periodic. The proposed stranded-NN model has been compared against existing fixed-depth MLPs and LSTM networks used by the industry. Experimentation has shown that the stranded-NN model can outperform fixed depth MLPs 15–21% more in terms of accuracy for real-time events and at least 10–14% more for close-to-real-time events. Regarding LSTMs of the same memory depth as the NN strand input, the stranded NN presents similar results in terms of accuracy for a specific number of strands. Nevertheless, the stranded-NN model's ability to maintain multiple trained strands makes it a superior and more flexible classification and prediction solution than its LSTM counterpart, as well as being faster at training and classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autonomous and adaptable identification of anomalies in industrial contexts, particularly in the physical processes of Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS), requires using critical technologies to identify failures correctly. Most of the existing solutions in the anomaly detection research area do not consider such systems' dynamics. Due to the complexity and multidimensionality of CPPS, a scalable, adaptable, and rapid anomaly detection system is needed, considering the new design specifications of Industry 4.0 solutions. Immune-based models, such as the Dendritic Cell Algorithm (DCA), may provide a rich source of inspiration for detecting anomalies, since the anomaly detection problem in CPPS greatly resembles the functionality of the biological dendritic cells in defending the human body from hazardous pathogens. This paper tackles DCA limitations that may compromise its usage in anomaly detection applications, such as the manual characterization of safe and danger signals, data analysis not suitable for online classification, and the lack of an object-oriented implementation of the algorithm. The proposed approach, the Cursory Dendritic Cell Algorithm (CDCA), is a novel variation of the DCA, developed to be flexible and monitor physical industrial processes continually while detecting anomalies in an online fashion. This work's contribution is threefold. First, it provides a comprehensive review of Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), focusing on AIS applied to the anomaly detection problem. Then, a new object-oriented architecture for the DCA implementation is described, enabling the modularity and abstraction of the algorithm stages into different classes (modules). Finally, the CDCA for the anomaly detection problem is proposed. The CDCA was successfully validated in two industrial-oriented dataset benchmarks for physical anomaly and network intrusion detection, the Skoltech Anomaly Benchmark (SKAB) and M2M using OPC UA. When compared to other algorithms, the proposed approach exhibits promising classification results. It was placed fourth on the SKAB scoreboard and presented a competitive performance with the incremental Dendritic Cell Algorithm (iDCA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of electricity through renewable energy sources increases every day, with solar energy being one of the fastest-growing. The emergence of information technologies such as Digital Twins (DT) in the field of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 allows a substantial development in automatic diagnostic systems. The objective of this work is to obtain the DT of a Photovoltaic Solar Farm (PVSF) with a deep-learning (DL) approach. To build such a DT, sensor-based time series are properly analyzed and processed. The resulting data are used to train a DL model (e.g., autoencoders) in order to detect anomalies of the physical system in its DT. Results show a reconstruction error around 0.1, a recall score of 0.92 and an Area Under Curve (AUC) of 0.97. Therefore, this paper demonstrates that the DT can reproduce the behavior as well as detect efficiently anomalies of the physical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, both the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies have been highly influential and revolutionary. IoT enables companies to embrace Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which benefits from communication and connectivity to reduce cost and to increase productivity through sensor-based autonomy. These automated systems can be further refined with smart contracts that are executed within a blockchain, thereby increasing transparency through continuous and indisputable logging. Ideally, the level of security for these IoT devices shall be very high, as they are specifically designed for this autonomous and networked environment. This paper discusses a use case of a company with legacy devices that wants to benefit from the features and functionality of blockchain technology. In particular, the implications of retrofit solutions are analyzed. The use of the BISS:4.0 platform is proposed as the underlying infrastructure. BISS:4.0 is intended to integrate the blockchain technologies into existing enterprise environments. Furthermore, a security analysis of IoT and blockchain present attacks and countermeasures are presented that are identified and applied to the mentioned use case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A completely new economic system is required for the era of Industry 4.0. Blockchain technology and blockchain cryptocurrencies are the best means to confront this new trustless economy. Millions of smart devices are able to complete transparent financial transactions via blockchain technology and its related cryptocurrencies. However, via blockchain technology, internet-connected devices may be hacked to mine cryptocurrencies. In this regard, monitoring the network of these blockchain-based transactions can be very useful to detect the abnormal behavior of users of these cryptocurrencies. Therefore, the trustworthiness of the transactions can be assured. In this paper, a novel procedure is proposed to monitor the network of blockchain cryptocurrency transactions. To do so, a hidden Markov multi-linear tensor model (HMTM) is utilized to model the transactions among nodes of the blockchain network. Then, a multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (MEWMA) control chart is applied to the monitoring of the latent effects. Average run length (ARL) is used to evaluate the performance of the MEWMA control chart in detecting blockchain network anomalies. The proposed procedure is applied to a real dataset of Bitcoin transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the availability of Industry 4.0 technology, the application of big data analytics to automated systems is possible. The distribution of products between warehouses or within a warehouse is an area that can benefit from automation based on Industry 4.0 technology. In this paper, the focus was on developing a dynamic route-planning system for automated guided vehicles within a warehouse. A dynamic routing problem with real-time obstacles was considered in this research. A key problem in this research area is the lack of a real-time route-planning algorithm that is suitable for the implementation on automated guided vehicles with limited computing resources. An optimization model, as well as machine learning methodologies for determining an operational route for the problem, is proposed. An internal layout of the warehouse of a large consumer product distributor was used to test the performance of the methodologies. A simulation environment based on Gazebo was developed and used for testing the implementation of the route-planning system. Computational results show that the proposed machine learning methodologies were able to generate routes with testing accuracy of up to 98% for a practical internal layout of a warehouse with 18 storage racks and 67 path segments. Managerial insights into how the machine learning configuration affects the prediction accuracy are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autonomic composition of Virtual Networks (VNs) and Service Function Chains (SFCs) based on application requirements is significant for complex environments. In this paper, we use graph transformation in order to compose an Extended Virtual Network (EVN) that is based on different requirements, such as locations, low latency, redundancy, and security functions. The EVN can represent physical environment devices and virtual application and network functions. We build a generic Virtual Network Embedding (VNE) framework for transforming an Application Request (AR) to an EVN. Subsequently, we define a set of transformations that reflect preliminary topological, performance, reliability, and security policies. These transformations update the entities and demands of the VN and add SFCs that include the required Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). Additionally, we propose a greedy proactive heuristic for path-independent embedding of the composed SFCs. This heuristic is appropriate for real complex environments, such as industrial networks. Furthermore, we present an Industrail Internet of Things (IIoT) use case that was inspired by Industry 4.0 concepts, in which EVNs for remote asset management are deployed over three levels; manufacturing halls and edge and cloud computing. We also implement the developed methods in Alevin and show exemplary mapping results from our use case. Finally, we evaluate the chain embedding heuristic while using a random topology that is typical for such a use case, and show that it can improve the admission ratio and resource utilization with minimal overhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important element in the integration of the fourth industrial revolution is the development of efficient algorithms to deal with dynamic scheduling problems. In dynamic scheduling, jobs can be admitted during the execution of a given schedule, which necessitates appropriately planned rescheduling decisions for maintaining a high level of performance. In this paper, a dynamic case of the multiprocessor open shop scheduling problem is addressed. This problem appears in different contexts, particularly those involving diagnostic operations in maintenance and health care industries. Two objectives are considered simultaneously—the minimization of the makespan and the minimization of the mean weighted flow time. The former objective aims to sustain efficient utilization of the available resources, while the latter objective helps in maintaining a high customer satisfaction level. An exact algorithm is presented for generating optimal Pareto front solutions. Despite the fact that the studied problem is NP-hard for both objectives, the presented algorithm can be used to solve small instances. This is demonstrated through computational experiments on a testbed of 30 randomly generated instances. The presented algorithm can also be used to generate approximate Pareto front solutions in case computational time needed to find proven optimal solutions for generated sub-problems is found to be excessive. Furthermore, computational results are used to investigate the characteristics of the optimal Pareto front of the studied problem. Accordingly, some insights for future metaheuristic developments are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning and additive manufacturing have progressed together in the previous couple of decades. Despite being one of the most promising technologies, they have several flaws that a collaborative effort may address. However, digital manufacturing has established itself in the current industrial revolution and it has slowed down quality control and inspection due to the different defects linked with it. Industry 4.0, the most recent industrial revolution, emphasizes the integration of intelligent production systems and current information technologies. As a result, deep learning has received a lot of attention and has been shown to be quite effective at understanding image data. This review aims to provide a cutting-edge deep learning application of the AM approach and application. This article also addresses the current issues of data privacy and security and potential solutions to provide a more significant dimension to future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintenance processes are of high importance for industrial plants. They have to be performed regularly and uninterruptedly. To assist maintenance personnel, industrial sensors monitored by distributed control systems observe and collect several machinery parameters in the cloud. Then, machine learning algorithms try to match patterns and classify abnormal behaviors. This paper presents a new deep learning model called stranded-NN. This model uses a set of NN models of variable layer depths depending on the input. This way, the proposed model can classify different types of emergencies occurring in different time intervals; real-time, close-to-real-time, or periodic. The proposed stranded-NN model has been compared against existing fixed-depth MLPs and LSTM networks used by the industry. Experimentation has shown that the stranded-NN model can outperform fixed depth MLPs 15–21% more in terms of accuracy for real-time events and at least 10–14% more for close-to-real-time events. Regarding LSTMs of the same memory depth as the NN strand input, the stranded NN presents similar results in terms of accuracy for a specific number of strands. Nevertheless, the stranded-NN model’s ability to maintain multiple trained strands makes it a superior and more flexible classification and prediction solution than its LSTM counterpart, as well as being faster at training and classification.

The autonomous and adaptable identification of anomalies in industrial contexts, particularly in the physical processes of Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS), requires using critical technologies to identify failures correctly. Most of the existing solutions in the anomaly detection research area do not consider such systems’ dynamics. Due to the complexity and multidimensionality of CPPS, a scalable, adaptable, and rapid anomaly detection system is needed, considering the new design specifications of Industry 4.0 solutions. Immune-based models, such as the Dendritic Cell Algorithm (DCA), may provide a rich source of inspiration for detecting anomalies, since the anomaly detection problem in CPPS greatly resembles the functionality of the biological dendritic cells in defending the human body from hazardous pathogens. This paper tackles DCA limitations that may compromise its usage in anomaly detection applications, such as the manual characterization of safe and danger signals, data analysis not suitable for online classification, and the lack of an object-oriented implementation of the algorithm. The proposed approach, the Cursory Dendritic Cell Algorithm (CDCA), is a novel variation of the DCA, developed to be flexible and monitor physical industrial processes continually while detecting anomalies in an online fashion. This work’s contribution is threefold. First, it provides a comprehensive review of Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), focusing on AIS applied to the anomaly detection problem. Then, a new object-oriented architecture for the DCA implementation is described, enabling the modularity and abstraction of the algorithm stages into different classes (modules). Finally, the CDCA for the anomaly detection problem is proposed. The CDCA was successfully validated in two industrial-oriented dataset benchmarks for physical anomaly and network intrusion detection, the Skoltech Anomaly Benchmark (SKAB) and M2M using OPC UA. When compared to other algorithms, the proposed approach exhibits promising classification results. It was placed fourth on the SKAB scoreboard and presented a competitive performance with the incremental Dendritic Cell Algorithm (iDCA).

The generation of electricity through renewable energy sources increases every day, with solar energy being one of the fastest-growing. The emergence of information technologies such as Digital Twins (DT) in the field of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 allows a substantial development in automatic diagnostic systems. The objective of this work is to obtain the DT of a Photovoltaic Solar Farm (PVSF) with a deep-learning (DL) approach. To build such a DT, sensor-based time series are properly analyzed and processed. The resulting data are used to train a DL model (e.g., autoencoders) in order to detect anomalies of the physical system in its DT. Results show a reconstruction error around 0.1, a recall score of 0.92 and an Area Under Curve (AUC) of 0.97. Therefore, this paper demonstrates that the DT can reproduce the behavior as well as detect efficiently anomalies of the physical system.

A completely new economic system is required for the era of Industry 4.0. Blockchain technology and blockchain cryptocurrencies are the best means to confront this new trustless economy. Millions of smart devices are able to complete transparent financial transactions via blockchain technology and its related cryptocurrencies. However, via blockchain technology, internet-connected devices may be hacked to mine cryptocurrencies. In this regard, monitoring the network of these blockchain-based transactions can be very useful to detect the abnormal behavior of users of these cryptocurrencies. Therefore, the trustworthiness of the transactions can be assured. In this paper, a novel procedure is proposed to monitor the network of blockchain cryptocurrency transactions. To do so, a hidden Markov multi-linear tensor model (HMTM) is utilized to model the transactions among nodes of the blockchain network. Then, a multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (MEWMA) control chart is applied to the monitoring of the latent effects. Average run length (ARL) is used to evaluate the performance of the MEWMA control chart in detecting blockchain network anomalies. The proposed procedure is applied to a real dataset of Bitcoin transactions.

An important element in the integration of the fourth industrial revolution is the development of efficient algorithms to deal with dynamic scheduling problems. In dynamic scheduling, jobs can be admitted during the execution of a given schedule, which necessitates appropriately planned rescheduling decisions for maintaining a high level of performance. In this paper, a dynamic case of the multiprocessor open shop scheduling problem is addressed. This problem appears in different contexts, particularly those involving diagnostic operations in maintenance and health care industries. Two objectives are considered simultaneously—the minimization of the makespan and the minimization of the mean weighted flow time. The former objective aims to sustain efficient utilization of the available resources, while the latter objective helps in maintaining a high customer satisfaction level. An exact algorithm is presented for generating optimal Pareto front solutions. Despite the fact that the studied problem is NP-hard for both objectives, the presented algorithm can be used to solve small instances. This is demonstrated through computational experiments on a testbed of 30 randomly generated instances. The presented algorithm can also be used to generate approximate Pareto front solutions in case computational time needed to find proven optimal solutions for generated sub-problems is found to be excessive. Furthermore, computational results are used to investigate the characteristics of the optimal Pareto front of the studied problem. Accordingly, some insights for future metaheuristic developments are drawn.

The computer information service industry is closely related to the fourth industrial revolution and stands at the core of the global value chain. It has become an essential engine for developing industries in various countries, and its scale is constantly expanding. In the critical period of global economic transformation and development, the use of mathematical models to predict its international competitiveness will help scientifically evaluate the development level of the industry and accelerate the adaptation to the needs of the fourth industrial revolution. In this article, a prediction model is proposed for the international competitiveness of the computer information service industry. First, we used the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index to measure the international competitiveness of the computer information service industry. Furthermore, based on the characteristics of the industry and high-quality development theory, we constructed the evaluation indicator system of influencing factors and used the grey relational analysis method to screen key indicators. Then, we combined the Grey model and BP neural network algorithm to construct the GM-BP prediction model. Finally, China is used as an example to predict the international competitiveness of its computer information service industry, and suggestions are made for industrial development. The results show that the grey relational analysis method can genuinely reflect the impact of different aspects on the international competitiveness of China's computer information service industry and better determine the key indicators of influencing factors. The GM-BP model has minor errors and excellent simulation results and can accurately predict the future status of international competitiveness. The applicability and reliability of the model are reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]