Future Smart Products Systems

The increased availability, robustness, and moderate cost of sensors; the increased capacity of computer chips; and the wide spread of Internet and wireless connectivity are adding a new dimension to models of human living and working. Embedding machine intelligence into the working environment, tools, and processes can make even routine tasks easier. A smart vehicle may eventually suggest using a different type of fuel, knowing the expected temperatures and location of the vehicle during the upcoming trip. Analyzing how a repair procedure is created, a smart vehicle may instruct its owner or technician about the repair procedure, mounting of the snow-chains, or changing the oil. Assembly tools such as a smart wrench may link real-time measurements with actions performed to advise further steps in the assembly process, thanks to the advanced computing and communication technologies available in the surrounding environment and other products. A combination of several elements brings intelligence to smart products. Sensors measure the environment and the activity of the user, actuators act on the environment or perform functions on behalf of the user, and communication means connect the smart product to other products and the rest of the world. The core of the smart product’s intelligence is a knowledge technology combined with the ability to comprehend the user and surrounding environment (i.e. context), coming from reasoning software and intelligent decision rules. It is widely recognized that additional methods and techniques should be established to meet the needs of the development of future smart products systems. The current research is advancing in several complementary directions, such as 1) clarifying the concept of a smart product from business and technical points of view; 2) implementing various dimensions of smart products systems, including situation awareness, autonomy, and personalization; 3) researching and developing the enabling technologies to implement the functions of smart products; and finally 4) proposing novel support tools to ease the smart product developer’s work (see Figure 1). This article presents a systematic review of existing research in the previously identified domains, providing an analysis of an up-to-date set of technologies that play a critical role in the realization of intelligence and in the sophisticated proactive behavior of smart products. The requirements for the tools facilitating the rapid prototyping of contextual applications and services based on future smart products systems are, in particular, highlighted. The objective of this review is to summarize the existing research in the domain of smart products engineering, to discuss the future trends in the development of smart products systems, and to identify further research needed to ensure the practical execution and success of future smart products systems. Julia Kantorovitch VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland