Everyday industrial: The unsung technologies enhancing everyday life

When most people imagine the technologies within industrial applications, they picture large machinery and complex manufacturing processes, seemingly removed from daily life. Yet with real-time control, a system can gather data, process it, and update itself within a defined time window. Smart sensing can detect people and machinery, and edge artificial intelligence (AI) can make decisions quickly and more efficiently. From the moment we wake up until the time we go to bed, these behind-the-scenes technologies – spanning everything from manufacturing to logistics – are quietly performing super-human tasks that keep our world moving.

Technologies used in industrial applications are as essential and beneficial to our daily routines as our smartphones. They save us time and increase convenience; they enable safety in our homes and in our infrastructure; and they empower us to live sustainably.

Let’s explore these three key benefits that enhance our lives, and how technology works together to accomplish them. 

Making daily life more convenient 

Industrial applications are transforming convenience. What was previously a trip to the store is now an online order with the ease of a few clicks, and decisions like setting the optimal temperature for your living room happen before you even think about it. Technologies like smart sensing and edge AI are increasingly integral to our lives, even if they’re not immediately visible.

When you place an online order, mobile robots in fulfillment centers locate the item on the shelf within minutes and prepare it for same-day shipment. These robots can work collaboratively with employees, handling highly repetitive tasks. Advanced safety, perception and navigation technology power these robots, enabling them to operate with remarkable precision and intelligence.

Smart sensing technology makes our homes more comfortable. With the latest semiconductor temperature sensors, thermostats can now track temperature with 0.1-degree accuracy, unlocking new opportunities for convenience. Using millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology, thermostats can detect whether someone is at home, automatically adjusting the temperature to balance energy efficiency with comfort. Additionally, mmWave technology enables your heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to detect your position and activity within a room. This allows the system to direct airflow precisely, and to dynamically adjust cooling capacity to create the most comfortable environment.

Looking ahead, humanoid robots could bring new levels of convenience to our homes by handling tasks such as cleaning and other chores. These robots will intelligently interact with their surroundings, adapting and optimizing as needed. As these innovations evolve, they promise to simplify our routines and support a smarter world.

Reinventing everyday safety

Industrial applications also play a critical role in enhancing safety, often in ways that you might not immediately recognize. Technologies like edge AI and real-time control can monitor our homes and families without infringing on our privacy.

In distribution centers and warehouses, robotic automation and edge AI-enabled safety systems protect workers by handling potentially dangerous tasks. An estimated 395 million workers worldwide had work-related injuries in 2019. Robots equipped with real-time control systems and sensors are programmed to stop immediately if they detect a human in a restricted zone, reducing the risk of some work-related injuries.

In building safety, industrial technologies have led to the development of smart HVAC systems that control airflow, temperature and humidity in real time to maintain a healthy indoor environment. By integrating machine learning and edge AI, HVAC systems can continuously monitor motor-driven bearings for vibration, temperature and acoustic signals. This predictive maintenance reduces unexpected breakdowns and extends motor life to enable a comfortable and safe working environment for laborers.

In solar energy systems, arc faults (high electrical currents that can pose a fire risk) can occur from damaged wiring, loose connections or weather-related wear on external components. Solar inverters equipped with arc fault detection technology continuously monitor electrical circuits to identify dangerous patterns in current flow that may signal a potential arc fault. Advanced sensors and microprocessors, with integrated edge AI technology, can accurately distinguish between normal power fluctuations and hazardous arcing. If a fault is detected, the system immediately interrupts power, cutting off electricity to prevent the fault from escalating into a fire.

In all of these areas, industrial applications and their technologies operate largely behind the scenes, but directly contribute significantly to safer living environments. From managing infrastructure integrity to securing homes, these technologies provide a layer of safety that is deeply embedded into our everyday experiences, making modern life more convenient and secure.

Increased sustainability

As our future becomes more sustainable, renewable energy solutions such as solar power and energy storage systems are becoming essential for reducing daily energy costs and lowering our carbon footprint at home, alongside using electric vehicles for everyday commuting. Achieving peak power-conversion efficiency and smart energy management remains a complex challenge as homes, businesses and energy companies strive to harness, convert and transport energy effectively. Demand for greater efficiency drives continuous technological breakthroughs such as real-time control and wide-bandgap semiconductors.

Wide-bandgap semiconductors such as gallium nitride (GaN) represent the next generation of power switches. A GaN semiconductor’s ability to operate efficiently at high voltages, temperatures and frequencies helps power converters become more efficient and minimizes switching losses, which occur when a switch moves between a blocking state and a conducting state.

When paired with our GaN integrated circuits, our company’s C2000™ real-time microcontrollers help solar inverters and energy storage systems operate at peak efficiency, delivering higher power with reduced switching losses. This combination not only decreases dependence on grid power, lowering electricity costs, but also seamlessly integrates renewable energy into our daily lives.

The quiet hero of modern life

Although these technologies may not always capture the spotlight, they make the conveniences and safety we enjoy every day possible. While several applications use these technologies, the technologies work together to maintain products we use every day, optimize energy use, and strengthen the infrastructure we depend on. As we work toward a more sustainable, efficient and safe future, technologies in industrial applications will remain at the forefront, quietly empowering our daily lives.

Ryan Wang, director of systems and engineering marketing at our company, authored this blog.