{"id":204343,"date":"2016-12-25T01:03:04","date_gmt":"2016-12-25T06:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/uncategorized\/automation-wikipedia.php"},"modified":"2016-12-25T01:03:04","modified_gmt":"2016-12-25T06:03:04","slug":"automation-wikipedia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/automation\/automation-wikipedia.php","title":{"rendered":"Automation &#8211; Wikipedia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><p>    Automation[1] or    automatic control, is the use of various control    systems for operating equipment such as machinery,    processes in factories, boilers and heat treating ovens,    switching on telephone networks, steering and stabilization of    ships, aircraft and other applications and vehicles with    minimal or reduced human intervention. Some processes have been    completely automated.  <\/p>\n<p>    The biggest benefit of automation is that it saves labor;    however, it is also used to save energy and materials and to    improve quality, accuracy and precision.  <\/p>\n<p>    The term automation, inspired by the earlier word    automatic (coming from automaton), was not widely used    before 1947, when Ford established an automation    department.[1] It    was during this time that industry was rapidly adopting    feedback    controllers, which were introduced in the 1930s.[2]  <\/p>\n<p>    Automation has been achieved by various means including    mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic    devices and computers, usually in combination. Complicated    systems, such as modern factories, airplanes and ships    typically use all these combined techniques.  <\/p>\n<p>    Fundamentally, there are two types of control loop; open loop    control, and closed loop (feedback) control.  <\/p>\n<p>    In open loop control, the control action from the controller is    independent of the \"process output\" (or \"controlled process    variable\"). A good example of this is a central heating boiler    controlled only by a timer, so that heat is applied for a    constant time, regardless of the temperature of the building.    (The control action is the switching on\/off of the boiler. The    process output is the building temperature).  <\/p>\n<p>    In closed loop control, the control action from the controller    is dependent on the process output. In the case of the boiler    analogy this would include a thermostat to monitor the building    temperature, and thereby feed back a signal to ensure the    controller maintains the building at the temperature set on the    thermostat. A closed loop controller therefore has a feedback    loop which ensures the controller exerts a control action to    give a process output the same as the \"Reference input\" or \"set    point\". For this reason, closed loop controllers are also    called feedback controllers.[3]  <\/p>\n<p>    The definition of a closed loop control system according to the    British Standard Institution is 'a control system possessing    monitoring feedback, the deviation signal formed as a result of    this feedback being used to control the action of a final    control element in such a way as to tend to reduce the    deviation to zero.' \" [4]  <\/p>\n<p>    Likewise; \"A Feedback Control System is a system which    tends to maintain a prescribed relationship of one system    variable to another by comparing functions of these variables    and using the difference as a means of control.'\"[5]  <\/p>\n<p>    The advanced type of automation that revolutionized    manufacturing, aircraft, communications and other industries,    is feedback control, which is usually continuous and    involves taking measurements using a sensor and making calculated adjustments to    keep the measured variable within a set range.[6] The theoretical basis    of closed loop automation is control theory.  <\/p>\n<p>    The control action is the form of the controller output action.  <\/p>\n<p>    One of the simplest types of control is on-off control.    An example is the thermostat used on household appliances which    either opens or closes an electrical contact. (Thermostats were    originally developed as true feedback-control mechanisms rather    than the on-off common household appliance thermostat.)  <\/p>\n<p>    Sequence control, in which a programmed sequence of    discrete operations is performed, often based on system    logic that involves system states. An elevator control system    is an example of sequence control.  <\/p>\n<p>    A proportionalintegralderivative controller (PID    controller) is a control loop feedback mechanism (controller) widely used in    industrial control systems.  <\/p>\n<p>    A PID controller continuously calculates an error value    e ( t )    {displaystyle e(t)}  as the difference between a desired setpoint and a measured    process variable and applies a    correction based on proportional, integral, and derivative terms,    respectively (sometimes denoted P, I, and    D) which give their name to the controller type.  <\/p>\n<p>    The theoretical understanding and application dates from the    1920s, and they are implemented in nearly all analogue control    systems; originally in mechanical controllers, and then using    discrete electronics and latterly in industrial process    computers.  <\/p>\n<p>    Sequential control may be either to a fixed sequence or to a    logical one that will perform different actions depending on    various system states. An example of an adjustable but    otherwise fixed sequence is a timer on a lawn sprinkler.  <\/p>\n<p>    States refer to the various conditions that can occur in a use    or sequence scenario of the system. An example is an elevator,    which uses logic based on the system state to perform certain    actions in response to its state and operator input. For    example, if the operator presses the floor n button, the system    will respond depending on whether the elevator is stopped or    moving, going up or down, or if the door is open or closed, and    other conditions.[7]  <\/p>\n<p>    An early development of sequential control was relay logic, by    which electrical relays engage electrical contacts which either    start or interrupt power to a device. Relays were first used in    telegraph networks before being developed for controlling other    devices, such as when starting and stopping industrial-sized    electric motors or opening and closing solenoid valves. Using    relays for control purposes allowed event-driven control, where    actions could be triggered out of sequence, in response to    external events. These were more flexible in their response    than the rigid single-sequence cam timers. More complicated    examples involved maintaining safe sequences for devices such    as swing bridge controls, where a lock bolt needed to be    disengaged before the bridge could be moved, and the lock bolt    could not be released until the safety gates had already been    closed.  <\/p>\n<p>    The total number of relays, cam timers and drum sequencers can    number into the hundreds or even thousands in some factories.    Early programming techniques and languages    were needed to make such systems manageable, one of the first    being ladder    logic, where diagrams of the interconnected relays    resembled the rungs of a ladder. Special computers called    programmable logic    controllers were later designed to replace these    collections of hardware with a single, more easily    re-programmed unit.  <\/p>\n<p>    In a typical hard wired motor start and stop circuit (called a    control circuit) a motor is started by pushing a \"Start\"    or \"Run\" button that activates a pair of electrical relays. The    \"lock-in\" relay locks in contacts that keep the control circuit    energized when the push button is released. (The start button    is a normally open contact and the stop button is normally    closed contact.) Another relay energizes a switch that powers    the device that throws the motor starter switch (three sets of    contacts for three phase industrial power) in the main power    circuit. Large motors use high voltage and experience high    in-rush current, making speed important in making and breaking    contact. This can be dangerous for personnel and property with    manual switches. The \"lock in\" contacts in the start circuit    and the main power contacts for the motor are held engaged by    their respective electromagnets until a \"stop\" or \"off\" button    is pressed, which de-energizes the lock in relay.[8]  <\/p>\n<p>    Commonly interlocks are added to a control    circuit. Suppose that the motor in the example is powering    machinery that has a critical need for lubrication. In this    case an interlock could be added to insure that the oil pump is    running before the motor starts. Timers, limit switches and    electric eyes are other common elements in control circuits.  <\/p>\n<p>    Solenoid    valves are widely used on compressed air or hydraulic fluid    for powering actuators on mechanical components. While motors    are used to supply continuous rotary motion, actuators are    typically a better choice for intermittently creating a limited    range of movement for a mechanical component, such as moving    various mechanical arms, opening or closing valves, raising    heavy press rolls, applying pressure to presses.  <\/p>\n<p>    Computers can perform both sequential control and feedback    control, and typically a single computer will do both in an    industrial application. Programmable logic    controllers (PLCs) are a type of special purpose    microprocessor that replaced many hardware components such as    timers and drum sequencers used in relay logic type systems. General    purpose process control computers have increasingly replaced    stand alone controllers, with a single computer able to perform    the operations of hundreds of controllers. Process control    computers can process data from a network of PLCs, instruments    and controllers in order to implement typical (such as PID) control    of many individual variables or, in some cases, to implement    complex control algorithms using multiple inputs and    mathematical manipulations. They can also analyze data and    create real time graphical displays for operators and run    reports for operators, engineers and management.  <\/p>\n<p>    Control of an automated teller    machine (ATM) is an example of an interactive process in    which a computer will perform a logic derived response to a    user selection based on information retrieved from a networked    database. The ATM process has similarities with other online    transaction processes. The different logical responses are    called scenarios. Such processes are typically designed    with the aid of use    cases and flowcharts, which guide the writing of the    software code.  <\/p>\n<p>    The earliest feedback control mechanism was the thermostat invented    in 1620 by the Dutch scientist Cornelius Drebbel. (Note: Early    thermostats were temperature regulators or controlers rather    than the on-off mechanisms common in household appliances.)    Another control mechanism was used to tent the sails of    windmills. It was patented by Edmund Lee in 1745.[9] Also in 1745,    Jacques de Vaucanson invented the    first automated loom.  <\/p>\n<p>    In 1771 Richard Arkwright invented the first    fully automated spinning mill driven by water power, known at    the time as the water frame.[10]  <\/p>\n<p>    The centrifugal governor, which was    invented by Christian Huygens    in the seventeenth century, was used to adjust the gap between    millstones.[11][12][13] Another    centrifugal governor was used by a Mr. Bunce of England in 1784    as part of a model steam crane.[14][15] The centrifugal governor was    also used in the automatic flour mill developed by Oliver Evans in    1785, making it the first completely automated industrial    process.[citation    needed] The governor was adopted by James    Watt for use on a steam engine in 1788 after Watts partner    Boulton saw one at a flour mill Boulton & Watt were    building.[9]  <\/p>\n<p>    The governor could not actually hold a set speed; the engine    would assume a new constant speed in response to load changes.    The governor was able to handle smaller variations such as    those caused by fluctuating heat load to the boiler. Also,    there was a tendency for oscillation whenever there was a speed    change. As a consequence, engines equipped with this governor    were not suitable for operations requiring constant speed, such    as cotton spinning.[9]  <\/p>\n<p>    Several improvements to the governor, plus improvements to    valve cut-off timing on the steam engine, made the engine    suitable for most industrial uses before the end of the 19th    century. Advances in the steam engine stayed well ahead of    science, both thermodynamics and control theory.[9]  <\/p>\n<p>    The governor received relatively little scientific attention    until James Clerk Maxwell published a paper    that established the beginning of a theoretical basis for    understanding control theory. Development of the electronic    amplifier during the 1920s, which was important for long    distance telephony, required a higher signal to noise ratio,    which was solved by negative feedback noise cancellation. This    and other telephony applications contributed to control theory.    Military applications during the Second World War that    contributed to and benefited from control theory were fire-control systems and aircraft    controls. The word \"automation\" itself was coined in the 1940s    by General Electric.[16] The    so-called classical theoretical treatment of control theory    dates to the 1940s and 1950s.[6]  <\/p>\n<p>    Relay logic    was introduced with factory electrification, which underwent    rapid adaption from 1900 though the 1920s. Central electric    power stations were also undergoing rapid growth and operation    of new high pressure boilers, steam turbines and electrical    substations created a large demand for instruments and    controls.  <\/p>\n<p>    Central control rooms became common in the 1920s, but as late    as the early 1930s, most process control was on-off. Operators    typically monitored charts drawn by recorders that plotted data    from instruments. To make corrections, operators manually    opened or closed valves or turned switches on or off. Control    rooms also used color coded lights to send signals to workers    in the plant to manually make certain changes.[17]  <\/p>\n<p>    Controllers, which were able to make calculated changes in    response to deviations from a set point rather than on-off    control, began being introduced the 1930s. Controllers allowed    manufacturing to continue showing productivity gains to offset    the declining influence of factory electrification.[18]  <\/p>\n<p>    Factory productivity was greatly increased by electrification    in the 1920s. Manufacturing productivity growth fell from    5.2%\/yr 1919-29 to 2.76%\/yr 1929-41. Field notes that spending    on non-medical instruments increased significantly from 192933    and remained strong thereafter.  <\/p>\n<p>    In 1959 Texacos Port Arthur refinery became the first chemical    plant to use digital control.[19]    Conversion of factories to digital control began to spread    rapidly in the 1970s as the price of computer hardware fell.  <\/p>\n<p>    The automatic telephone switchboard was introduced in 1892    along with dial telephones.[20] By 1929, 31.9% of    the Bell system was automatic. Automatic telephone switching    originally used vacuum tube amplifiers and electro-mechanical    switches, which consumed a large amount of electricity. Call    volume eventually grew so fast that it was feared the telephone    system would consume all electricity production, prompting    Bell Labs to    begin research on the transistor.[21]  <\/p>\n<p>    The logic performed by telephone switching relays was the    inspiration for the digital computer. The first commercially    successful glass bottle blowing machine was an automatic model    introduced in 1905.[22] The machine,    operated by a two-man crew working 12-hour shifts, could    produce 17,280 bottles in 24 hours, compared to 2,880 bottles    made by a crew of six men and boys working in a shop for a day.    The cost of making bottles by machine was 10 to 12 cents per    gross compared to $1.80 per gross by the manual glassblowers    and helpers.  <\/p>\n<p>    Sectional electric drives were developed using control theory.    Sectional electric drives are used on different sections of a    machine where a precise differential must be maintained between    the sections. In steel rolling, the metal elongates as it    passes through pairs of rollers, which must run at successively    faster speeds. In paper making the paper sheet shrinks as it    passes around steam heated drying arranged in groups, which    must run at successively slower speeds. The first application    of a sectional electric drive was on a paper machine in    1919.[23] One of the most important    developments in the steel industry during the 20th century was    continuous wide strip rolling, developed by Armco in    1928.[24]  <\/p>\n<p>    Before automation many chemicals were made in batches. In 1930,    with the widespread use of instruments and the emerging use of    controllers, the founder of Dow Chemical Co. was advocating    continuous production.[25]  <\/p>\n<p>    Self-acting machine tools that displaced hand dexterity so they    could be operated by boys and unskilled laborers were developed    by James    Nasmyth in the 1840s.[26]Machine tools were automated with Numerical    control (NC) using punched paper tape in the 1950s. This    soon evolved into computerized numerical control (CNC).  <\/p>\n<p>    Today extensive automation is practiced in practically every    type of manufacturing and assembly process. Some of the larger    processes include electrical power generation, oil refining,    chemicals, steel mills, plastics, cement plants, fertilizer    plants, pulp and paper mills, automobile and truck assembly,    aircraft production, glass manufacturing, natural gas    separation plants, food and beverage processing, canning and    bottling and manufacture of various kinds of parts. Robots are    especially useful in hazardous applications like automobile    spray painting. Robots are also used to assemble electronic    circuit boards. Automotive welding is done with robots and    automatic welders are used in applications like pipelines.  <\/p>\n<p>    The main advantages of automation are:  <\/p>\n<p>    The following methods are often employed to improve    productivity, quality, or robustness.  <\/p>\n<p>    The main disadvantages of automation are:  <\/p>\n<p>    In manufacturing, the purpose of automation has shifted to    issues broader than productivity, cost, and time.  <\/p>\n<p>    Lights out manufacturing is when a production system is 100% or    near to 100% automated (not hiring any workers). In order to    eliminate the need for labor costs altogether.  <\/p>\n<p>    The costs of automation to the environment are different    depending on the technology, product or engine automated. There    are automated engines that consume more energy resources from    the Earth in comparison with previous engines and those that do    the opposite[clarification    needed] too.[citation    needed] Hazardous operations, such as    oil refining, the manufacturing of industrial    chemicals, and all forms of metal working,    were always early contenders for automation.[dubious     discuss][citation    needed]  <\/p>\n<p>    Another major shift in automation is the increased demand for    flexibility and convertibility in manufacturing processes.    Manufacturers are increasingly demanding the ability to easily    switch from manufacturing Product A to manufacturing Product B    without having to completely rebuild the production    lines. Flexibility and distributed processes have led to    the introduction of Automated    Guided Vehicles with Natural Features Navigation.  <\/p>\n<p>    Digital electronics helped too. Former analogue-based    instrumentation was replaced by digital equivalents which can    be more accurate and flexible, and offer greater scope for more    sophisticated configuration, parametrization and operation.    This was accompanied by the fieldbus revolution which provided a networked    (i.e. a single cable) means of communicating between control    systems and field level instrumentation, eliminating    hard-wiring.  <\/p>\n<p>    Discrete manufacturing plants    adopted these technologies fast. The more conservative process    industries with their longer plant life cycles have been slower    to adopt and analogue-based measurement and control still    dominates. The growing use of Industrial Ethernet on the factory    floor is pushing these trends still further, enabling    manufacturing plants to be integrated more tightly within the    enterprise, via the internet if necessary. Global competition    has also increased demand for Reconfigurable    Manufacturing Systems.  <\/p>\n<p>    Engineers can now have numerical control over automated    devices. The result has been a rapidly expanding range of    applications and human activities. Computer-aided technologies    (or CAx) now serve as the basis for mathematical and    organizational tools used to create complex systems. Notable    examples of CAx include Computer-aided design (CAD    software) and Computer-aided    manufacturing (CAM software). The improved design,    analysis, and manufacture of products enabled by CAx has been    beneficial for industry.[28]  <\/p>\n<p>    Information technology, together    with industrial    machinery and processes, can assist in the design,    implementation, and monitoring of control systems. One example    of an industrial    control system is a programmable logic    controller (PLC). PLCs are specialized hardened computers    which are frequently used to synchronize the flow of inputs    from (physical) sensors and events with the flow of outputs to    actuators and events.[29]  <\/p>\n<p>    Human-machine interfaces    (HMI) or computer human    interfaces (CHI), formerly known as man-machine    interfaces, are usually employed to communicate with PLCs    and other computers. Service personnel who monitor and control    through HMIs can be called by different names. In industrial    process and manufacturing environments, they are called    operators or something similar. In boiler houses and central    utilities departments they are called stationary    engineers.[30]  <\/p>\n<p>    Different types of automation tools exist:  <\/p>\n<p>    When it comes to Factory Automation, Host Simulation Software    (HSS) is a commonly used testing tool that is used to test the    equipment software. HSS is used to test equipment performance    with respect to Factory Automation standards (timeouts,    response time, processing time).[31]  <\/p>\n<p>    Many roles for humans in industrial processes presently lie    beyond the scope of automation. Human-level pattern    recognition, language    comprehension, and language production ability are well    beyond the capabilities of modern mechanical and computer    systems (but see Watson (computer)). Tasks requiring    subjective assessment or synthesis of complex sensory data,    such as scents and sounds, as well as high-level tasks such as    strategic planning, currently require human expertise. In many    cases, the use of humans is more cost-effective than mechanical    approaches even where automation of industrial tasks is    possible. Overcoming these obstacles is a theorized path to    post-scarcity economics.  <\/p>\n<p>    The Paradox of    Automation says that the more efficient the automated system,    the more crucial the human contribution of the operators.    Humans are less involved, but their involvement becomes more    critical.  <\/p>\n<p>    If an automated system has an error, it will multiply that    error until its fixed or shut down. This is where human    operators come in.[32]  <\/p>\n<p>    A fatal example of this was Air    France Flight 447, where a failure of automation put the    pilots into a manual situation they were not prepared    for.[33]  <\/p>\n<p>    Food and drink  <\/p>\n<p>    The food retail industry has started to apply automation to the    ordering process; McDonald's has introduced touch screen    ordering and payment systems in many of its restaurants,    reducing the need for as many cashier employees.[34]The University of    Texas at Austin has introduced fully automated cafe retail    locations.[35] Some Cafes and restaurants have    utilized mobile and tablet \"apps\" to make the ordering process more    efficient by customers ordering and paying on their    device.[36][spamlink?][37] Some    restaurants have automated food delivery to customers tables    using a Conveyor belt system. The use of    robots is sometimes employed to replace waiting    staff.[38]  <\/p>\n<p>    Stores  <\/p>\n<p>    Many Supermarkets and even smaller stores are    rapidly introducing Self checkout systems    reducing the need for employing checkout workers.  <\/p>\n<p>    Online    shopping could be considered a form of automated retail as    the payment and checkout are through an automated Online transaction    processing system. Other forms of automation can also be an    integral part of online shopping, for example the deployment of    automated warehouse robotics such as that applied by Amazon using Kiva Systems.  <\/p>\n<p>    Involves the removal of human labor from the mining process.[39] The mining    industry is currently in the transition towards Automation.    Currently it can still require a large amount of human capital,    particularly in the third world where labor    costs are low so there is less incentive for increasing    efficiency through automation.  <\/p>\n<p>    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) started the research and    development of automated visual surveillance and monitoring    (VSAM) program, between 1997 and 1999, and airborne video    surveillance (AVS) programs, from 1998 to 2002. Currently,    there is a major effort underway in the vision community to    develop a fully automated tracking    surveillance system. Automated video surveillance monitors    people and vehicles in real time within a busy environment.    Existing automated surveillance systems are based on the    environment they are primarily designed to observe, i.e.,    indoor, outdoor or airborne, the amount of sensors that the    automated system can handle and the mobility of sensor, i.e.,    stationary camera vs. mobile camera. The purpose of a    surveillance system is to record properties and trajectories of    objects in a given area, generate warnings or notify designated    authority in case of occurrence of particular events.[40]  <\/p>\n<p>    As demands for safety and mobility have grown and technological    possibilities have multiplied, interest in automation has    grown. Seeking to accelerate the development and introduction    of fully automated vehicles and highways, the United States Congress authorized    more than $650 million over six years for intelligent transport    systems (ITS) and demonstration projects in the 1991    Intermodal    Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). Congress    legislated in ISTEA that \"the Secretary of    Transportation shall develop an automated highway and    vehicle prototype from which future fully automated intelligent    vehicle-highway systems can be developed. Such development    shall include research in human factors to ensure the success    of the man-machine relationship. The goal of this program is to    have the first fully automated highway roadway or an automated    test track in operation by 1997. This system shall accommodate    installation of equipment in new and existing motor vehicles.\"    [ISTEA 1991, part B, Section 6054(b)].  <\/p>\n<p>    Full automation commonly defined as requiring no control or    very limited control by the driver; such automation would be    accomplished through a combination of sensor, computer, and    communications systems in vehicles and along the roadway. Fully    automated driving would, in theory, allow closer vehicle    spacing and higher speeds, which could enhance traffic capacity    in places where additional road building is physically    impossible, politically unacceptable, or prohibitively    expensive. Automated controls also might enhance road safety by    reducing the opportunity for driver error, which causes a large    share of motor vehicle crashes. Other potential benefits    include improved air quality (as a result of more-efficient    traffic flows), increased fuel economy, and spin-off    technologies generated during research and development related    to automated highway systems.[41]  <\/p>\n<p>    Automated waste collection trucks prevent the need for as many    workers as well as easing the level of labor required to    provide the service.[42]  <\/p>\n<p>    Home automation (also called domotics) designates an    emerging practice of increased automation of household    appliances and features in residential dwellings, particularly    through electronic means that allow for things impracticable,    overly expensive or simply not possible in recent past decades.  <\/p>\n<p>    Automation is essential for many scientific and clinical    applications.[43] Therefore, automation has been    extensively employed in laboratories. From as early as 1980    fully automated laboratories have already been working.[44] However, automation has not    become widespread in laboratories due to its high cost. This    may change with the ability of integrating low-cost devices    with standard laboratory equipment.[45][46]Autosamplers are common devices used in    laboratory automation.  <\/p>\n<p>    Industrial automation deals primarily with the automation of    manufacturing, quality control and material handling processes.    General purpose controllers for industrial processes include    Programmable logic controllers, stand-alone I\/O modules, and    computers. Industrial automation is to replace the decision    making of humans and manual command-response activities with    the use of mechanized equipment and logical programming    commands. One trend is increased use of Machine vision to    provide automatic inspection and robot guidance functions,    another is a continuing increase in the use of robots.    Industrial automation is simply done at the industrial level.  <\/p>\n<p>    Energy efficiency in industrial processes has become a higher    priority. Semiconductor companies like Infineon Technologies    are offering 8-bit micro-controller applications for example    found in motor controls, general purpose pumps, fans, and    ebikes to reduce energy consumption and thus increase    efficiency.  <\/p>\n<p>    Industrial robotics is a sub-branch in the industrial    automation that aids in various manufacturing processes. Such    manufacturing processes include; machining, welding, painting,    assembling and material handling to name a few.[48] Industrial robots utilizes    various mechanical, electrical as well as software systems to    allow for high precision, accuracy and speed that far exceeds    any human performance. The birth of industrial robot came    shortly after World War II as United States saw the need for a    quicker way to produce industrial and consumer goods.[49] Servos, digital logic and solid    state electronics allowed engineers to build better and faster    systems and overtime these systems were improved and revised to    the point where a single robot is capable of running 24 hours a    day with little or no maintenance.  <\/p>\n<p>    Industrial automation incorporates programmable logic    controllers in the manufacturing process. Programmable logic    controllers (PLCs) use a processing system which allows for    variation of controls of inputs and outputs using simple    programming. PLCs make use of programmable memory, storing    instructions and functions like logic, sequencing, timing,    counting, etc. Using a logic based language, a PLC can receive    a variety of inputs and return a variety of logical outputs,    the input devices being sensors and output devices being    motors, valves, etc. PLCs are similar to computers, however,    while computers are optimized for calculations, PLCs are    optimized for control task and use in industrial environments.    They are built so that only basic logic-based programming    knowledge is needed and to handle vibrations, high    temperatures, humidity and noise. The greatest advantage PLCs    offer is their flexibility. With the same basic controllers, a    PLC can operate a range of different control systems. PLCs make    it unnecessary to rewire a system to change the control system.    This flexibility leads to a cost-effective system for complex    and varied control systems.[50]  <\/p>\n<p>    Agent-assisted automation refers to automation used by call    center agents to handle customer inquiries. There are two basic    types: desktop automation and automated voice solutions.    Desktop automation refers to software programming that makes it    easier for the call center agent to work across multiple    desktop tools. The automation would take the information    entered into one tool and populate it across the others so it    did not have to be entered more than once, for example.    Automated voice solutions allow the agents to remain on the    line while disclosures and other important information is    provided to customers in the form of pre-recorded audio files.    Specialized applications of these automated voice solutions    enable the agents to process credit cards without ever seeing    or hearing the credit card numbers or CVV codes[51]  <\/p>\n<p>    The key benefit of agent-assisted automation is compliance and    error-proofing. Agents are sometimes not fully trained or they    forget or ignore key steps in the process. The use of    automation ensures that what is supposed to happen on the call    actually does, every time.  <\/p>\n<p>    Research by the Oxford Martin School showed that    employees engaged in \"tasks following well-defined procedures    that can easily be performed by sophisticated algorithms\" are    at risk of displacement. The study, published in 2013, shows    that automation can affect both skilled and unskilled work and    both high and low-paying occupations; however, low-paid    physical occupations are most at risk.[52] However, according to a    study published in McKinsey Quarterly[53] in 2015 the impact of    computerization in most cases is not replacement of employees    but automation of portions of the tasks they perform.[54]  <\/p>\n<p>    Based on a formula by Gilles Saint-Paul, an economist at    Toulouse 1 University, the demand for unskilled human capital    declines at a slower rate than the demand for skilled human    capital increases.[55] In the long    run and for society as a whole it has led to cheaper products,    lower average work hours, and new    industries forming (I.e, robotics industries, computer    industries, design industries). These new industries provide    many high salary skill based jobs to the economy.  <\/p>\n<p><!-- Auto Generated --><\/p>\n<p>View post:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Automation\" title=\"Automation - Wikipedia\">Automation - Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> Automation[1] or automatic control, is the use of various control systems for operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories, boilers and heat treating ovens, switching on telephone networks, steering and stabilization of ships, aircraft and other applications and vehicles with minimal or reduced human intervention. Some processes have been completely automated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/automation\/automation-wikipedia.php\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[431581],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-204343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-automation"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204343"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204343\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}