Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and LogisticsWe refer to embedded systems as systems based on small computers that execute autonomous and independent outputs. In the Internet of Things (IoT), these are, for example, the monitoring of urban processes, such as the movement of assets, the monitoring of load carriers with regard to shock, temperature, light exposure, humidity or temperature, or the monitoring of supply and fill levels of containers using image and non-image sensor technology.
The added value lies in the energy and cost efficiency of the embedded systems. On the one hand, the latest semiconductor technologies in both processor technology and sensor technology allow the development of devices that function for up to 10 years without requiring maintenance. On the other hand, production costs of just a few euros mean that sensor technology can be used across the board for even the simplest processes.
However, embedded systems are not only available as stand-alone solutions but can also be part of more complex systems such as freely navigating transport robots or drones.
These technologies are being developed as part of both industrial and research projects for various areas of logistics. Thus, the development does not end with the commissioning and handover of the hardware in the so-called Proof of Concept (PoC) and the support up to the pre-production and series production of our project partners. It extends to the implementation of new processes such as blockchain-based smart contracting for pay-per-use services, for example. In this way, simple processes, whose administrative effort often exceeds the pay-off of the service, can be handled securely, autonomously, and completely traceable at any time - so-called micropayments.