Sensor hub provides a compact and easy way of acquiring data from sensors distributed across the industrial Internet of Things (IoT)
Danish data acquisition (DAQ) specialist Micro Technic, has developed a new generation of sensor hubs in response to the proliferation of smart sensors and the need to acquire their data in complex Industrial IoT environments.
The Skylark hub is a complete and flexible IoT device that enables the monitoring and collection of data from any remote application. Simple to set up and connect to any sensor, Skylark comes with an easy device management platform. A resilient, stable and durable IoT device that ensures cyber-safe data transmission at the edge, Skylark is also an extremely low power, sustainable IoT gateway that can be powered by battery or solar energy and features multiple wireless options.
Although suitable for multiple IoT applications, Micro Technic is positioning Skylark for some specific sectors.
Manufacturing Industry
Making the most of resources and eliminating inefficient production processes is essential, both for sustainability and profitability. Inefficiency is caused by a lack of insight into the behaviour and performance of equipment. A faulty machine will produce output of lower quality which can go unnoticed the machine breaks down. Skylark helps manufactures to monitor any process in the production line and make sustainable choices to improve productivity and reduce downtime.
Skylark can be retrofitted to existing equipment easily, adding Industry 4.0 functionality, thereby increasing machine lifetime and supporting circular business models.
Micro-Technic CEO, Frank Max Laursen says, “As well as ensuring product efficiency during its life, IoT can give manufactures insight as to when products are no longer being used and can also tell the manufactures where their old hardware is located, via the internet-connectivity of the products. This means we can provide a ‘cradle-to-grave’ service.”
Road Traffic Analysis
Skylark IoT hubs can also be deployed outside of the industrial environment and make it possible, for example, to analyse traffic patterns by collecting critical data. This enables planners to find smarter ways to manage and improve road infrastructure and traffic management systems. By taking this approach, cities can be made smarter and more sustainable.
Agriculture
As the global population expands, the demand for food increases. Yet farmers and growers must deal with volatile and intense weather conditions, which impact the quality and quantity of crop production. Skylark IoT hubs can be used remotely and provide people in the agricultural industry with insights into soil quality, weather conditions and crop status by measuring variables like humidity, temperature and moisture. Skylark’s low power and robustness means that the IoT dataloggers can be placed remotely in demanding environment with minimal maintenance.
According to Laursen, his company’s focus on green energy liberates the Skylark IoT datalogger from needing a traditional power supply.
“This means that devices can be deployed on the highest mountains, the stormiest coastal areas or the most remote regions in the world and still function as intended,” he says.
The company believes that the IoT will play a vital role in supporting the green transition and creating a more sustainable world, whether used in industrial environments or not.
“We are playing our part by working on realising targets from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and we want to be an innovative partner for our customers. To facilitate this, we have created the Engineering Campfire, a creative IoT workshop where our engineers help transform our customers’ visions and great ideas into IoT solutions that improve and add value to their businesses,” he concludes.
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