Context awareness is gaining ground in mobile processes, systems, and applications. Understanding the physical environment and business conditions affecting a task help to optimize its performance. New solutions for material and asset management support a more robust, dynamic knowledge base.
Materials handling
Shipping or receiving irreplaceable, high-value, or environmentally-sensitive goods requires multiple layers of intelligence. SenseAware powered by FedEx lets customers track the global positioning, safety, and integrity of a package and its contents during shipment or while in storage. The multisensor device collects and transmits data via a cellular module from inside packages, pallets, trailers, or warehouses using wireless communication. Near-real-time data is sent to an online application for monitoring and analysis.
“The multisensor device allows shippers to monitor not only the location of their package, but also the environmental conditions inside the package, such as temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, shock, and exposure to light," says Chris Swearingen, manager of global supply chain solutions and market development at FedEx. "It utilizes geofences, which allow customers to assign an approved area for package movement and receive alerts if the package moves outside of the boundaries."
For autonomous transport vehicles, creating visibility is critical to success. Seegrid Supervisor is a web-based application that connects, monitors, and controls Seegrid vision-guided vehicles (VGVs). The software provides live status and location information of the VGV fleet, and acts as an automated traffic cop by granting or withholding access to congested or restricted areas. Configurable rules allow for custom notifications and commands, and dispatch rules and routes can be established. The software can be integrated with external control devices and work management or manufacturing execution software.
“Seegrid Supervisor shows multiple views of the current status of the VGV fleet, from plant-wide maps to context-specific views at a single work cell. The goal is to keep production moving, and to present just what's needed to the floor operators so they can keep focus on their own work,” says Jeff Christensen, vice president of products at Seegrid.
