What are Industrial Computers Used for?

When the average person learns about the industrial side of computing, the natural first question is “What are Industrial Computers actually used for?”. 

If you have a smart speaker, smart thermostat or smart doorbell, you’re already familiar with Internet of Things, or IoT, devices. These technologies connect people, machines and data and deliver outcomes intelligently. But IoT is happening outside of your house too, and on a massive scale. The Industrial Internet of Things, or IIoT, is one area where industrial computers are playing a key role.

Industrial Computers and the IIoT

You may have heard of smart buildings, smart factories, smart cities, smart warehouses – smart everything! Rampant overuse of the word “smart” notwithstanding, solutions like these use industrial computers because of their reliability, durability, customization capabilities and small size, which allows them to be installed wherever they’re needed. Industrial and rugged computers are engineered to survive where your average desktop computer would fail, and that’s exactly where IIoT devices frequently need to be installed.

Other Examples of How Industrial Computers are Used

Ok, so IIoT, that’s one use case for industrial computers, but there are so many others. Here are just a few specific examples.

The team at ‘IKE Solutions in Hawaii is using Machine Learning, powered by one of our rugged computers, on fishing vessels to monitor the crew and the catch, to improve safety and ensure sustainable fishing. The computers have to be able to survive rough seas and constant moisture, as well as on-board power fluctuations that could easily cripple systems not designed for those conditions.

The team at Creative Electron meanwhile, is building cutting edge X-Ray inspection systems using industrial computers. Their devices are used to ensure quality for a wide range of manufacturers who have all sorts of computing and connectivity demands that your average computer just isn’t built for. If you’ve ever read an iFixit teardown article about a new technology product, you’ve likely seen X-ray images courtesy of Creative Electron.

And our friends at DaVinci Kitchen are using industrial computers to create robot chefs who make stir fry and pasta dishes. That one may sound like something we threw in there to make sure you were still paying attention, but it’s no joke, the team at DaVinci Kitchen is looking to the hospitality industry to use their devices in hotels to free up staff to better attend to guests. 

The Data Handlers of Industry 4.0

We could really go on and on talking about remote operated and autonomous vehicles, digital signage that reacts to customer interactions, medical devices, physical security products and a lot, lot more. Essentially you could say that if data is being created or managed, industrial computers are probably involved. That’s why our team works so hard to make our systems reliable, flexible and configurable. You just never know the next great innovation that industrial computing hardware will power.

I hope that helps give you a better idea of how industrial computers are being used, but we’d love to hear what other questions you have. What do you think the most impactful use of these versatile devices is, or will be soon? Leave a comment below!