Are we on the cusp of Industry 5.0?

Industry 4.0 has only recently started gaining attention of the masses, and yet talks of the coming of Industry 5.0 are already beginning to make its rounds around industry experts.

The growth of Industry 4.0 was given a significant boost during 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry 4.0 is characterised by automation and smart factory technologies through the use of robotic solutions and IoT (internet of things). Nationwide lockdowns and continued remote working arrangements made it impossible for manufacturers to ignore industry 4.0 technologies. Automation and smart factory technologies were a necessity for the factory to continue operating despite covid restrictions. These technologies will continue to accompany manufacturers well into a post-covid world.

Our increasing reliance on smart technologies will change the way factories operate forever. More advanced technologies will be developed, pushing the boundaries of connectivity and data analytics. As the adoption rate of Industry 4.0 continues to climb, experts have been wondering if Industry 5.0 will come sooner than we think. First, let’s examine what Industry 5.0 is.

Characteristics of Industry 5.0

If Industry 4.0 was about automation and smart technologies, Industry 5.0 is about taking the Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT and systems integration to the next level. More personalised technology, better data visualisation, and enhanced connectivity in the factory are some of the key characteristics experts predict will define Industry 5.0.

Today, factory operators can work remotely, either from decentralised locations or a centralised control room, and still receive real-time data of factory floor operations. The connection between the physical and the virtual will certainly continue to evolve over time. AI could enable more personalised technologies and data visualisation.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will also change the way physical and virtual spaces interact, providing another dimension of connectivity in the factory. Data visualisation using VR and AR technologies can enable factory operators to connect data sets to its specific machine components at an instance.

The synergies between machine and man have not been explored to its full potential, and there are ongoing research and development that are focused on tapping into the strengths of a machine-human interconnection.

What are your thoughts on Industry 5.0? How do you think the manufacturing landscape will change? Let us know in the comments!