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Automation refers to the use of information technologies, control systems such as computers and robots to control machines and processes. Its purpose is to reduce manual work and increase efficiency, speed, quality and performance [1]. It forms the basis of Industry 4.0 [2]. The term "Industry 4.0" describes all technologies and measures for the comprehensive digitalization and intelligent networking of industrial production (the "digital transformation"). The synonymous term "Industry X.0" is also often used, to emphasize the speed of technological developments and prevent the term from quickly becoming obsolete [3]. The concept entails close networking of human being, machine and product. It extends to the entire value chain and demands a fundamental restructuring - particularly of production, logistics and transport [3] - and greater efforts to ensure cybersecurity.
The most important resource of Industry 4.0 is data. Big data has the task of developing, analysing and leveraging this resource. Cloud computing is also a technology fundamental to Industry 4.0. It refers to the needs-based use of virtual computer processing and storage capacity, accessed over the Internet or through an internal company network. Cloud computing also includes the sale of application software as a service [4].
The Internet represents a key technology for Industry 4.0 and permits networking across national borders and those of company operations [5]. Likewise, the ongoing development of the Internet of Things (IoT) is a part of Industry 4.0, and at the same a driving force of it [6]. In the IoT, objects of almost any kind are equipped with extensive computing power, controlled by software and networked with the outside world and other IoT objects over the Internet [7]. Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) constitute the technical basis of the IoT. CPSs are sensors and actuators that provide physical measurement data and transmit it to a data infrastructure [4]. The influence of the IoT is not limited to industrial production (the industrial Internet of things, IIoT or smart factory): it also extends to the personal sphere (smart home) and the social environment (smart city) [6].
In the IoT, machines are connected to each other solely via the Internet. By contrast, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication tends to be a closed system, with hard-wired point-to-point links. Communication is achieved by sensors that are connected to a network by cable, WLAN or mobile communications [4]. The exchange of information in M2M communication, for the most part automated, includes remote monitoring, remote control and remote maintenance of machines, plants and systems; limited human involvement is possible [8]. For the future, M2M communication offers the prospect of progressively deep networking of devices and systems, as the development of new mobile communications standards (5G/6G) will make real-time communication faster and more reliable [9].
Intelligent process automation, also termed hyperautomation, combines artificial intelligence (AI, including generative AI), machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA) with the use of software robots (bots) to automate repetitive tasks and transform complex business processes such that they run without human intervention. It encompasses the entire automation process - detection, automation, optimization - and connects people, systems and data [10; 11]. Self-organizing production systems act as software agents for enhanced flexibility and robustness. To achieve this, individual machine components are equipped with sensors that receive information from the workpiece. This enables interchangeable work steps to be optimized and processing to be made more efficient. The system automatically detects outages and redirects the jobs [12; 13].
Robots symbolize automation and are its most important tool. A distinction is drawn between industrial robots and service robots. Highly flexible production of products with a high degree of customization - a requirement of Industry 4.0 - is based on the use of industrial robots [14]. Germany set a new record for industrial robots in 2023, and is now the leader in the European robotics market [15]. These robots are programmable machines whose flexible movements enable them to perform a range of tasks in a wide variety of environments [16]. Industrial robots must be enclosed by guards that prevent persons from entering the danger zone. Collaborative robots (cobots) are able to react intelligently to their environment and thus play a key role in Industry 4.0. Despite this, their use gives rise to risks and requires high safety standards. They represent the link between purely manual jobs and full automation and support employees directly in a largely unfenced industrial environment, particularly by performing activities that are not ergonomic [17].
Non-industrial robot applications, such as service and assistance robots, present a particular technical challenge, as they operate in a constantly changing environment, and usually interact directly with human beings. Unlike in industrial applications, older people and children may also be involved in this case, giving rise to new and wider challenges. Service and assistance robots include household robots, cleaning robots in public spaces, service robots in the retail trade, hotels and restaurants, care robots, and robots for social interaction, entertainment and education. Robots in these areas have reached different stages of development; some are already sufficiently advanced to be used in everyday life [18].
The construction sector is one area in which the first multifunctional robots are now being used for a range of tasks. Construction robots can navigate their environment independently and to perform their tasks - under the control of relevant software - autonomously or by remote control. Programmed, precision processes and 3D printing enable the use of materials to be optimized, thereby making construction sites more sustainable. 3D printing robots are able to produce components of almost any size on site, up to and including entire buildings, space permitting. The components are built up in layers by the use of chemical and/or physical processes [19; 20].
Large-scale robotics includes agricultural robots and other heavy plant (for clearance, decontamination in environments hostile to human beings, waste disposal, etc.), as well as autonomous construction machinery. These robots can negotiate large-scale and unstructured environments and perform complex reconnaissance and manipulation tasks independently by using AI to evaluate sensor data and act upon it [21].
In addition to robots, remote-controlled or autonomous drones are also playing an increasingly important role. These are used on construction sites, for inspection tasks (e.g. on roofs), in the power generation and distribution sector, for monitoring air quality, and for rescue at workplaces at height [22]. Drones are now available that not only collect data visually, but also carry out work (such as cleaning or construction activities) [23]. Drones or land robots can be combined to form an intelligent swarm for monitoring larger areas for military purposes, or wind farms. A further use is for swift detection of sources of radioactivity that may have been placed during a terrorist attack, for example [24].
Active exoskeletons, i.e. those driven by an electric motor or pneumatically, are a special type of robot that acts as a supportive aid for lifting and carrying. These assistance systems, worn on the body, exert an external mechanical effect upon it [25]. Connection of exoskeletons to the Internet of Things (IoT) enables load values and activities to be evaluated [20].