Internet of Robotic Things in Smart Domains: Applications and Challenges

Abstract

With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Internet of Things (IoT) and robotic systems are closely cooperating, reshaping their relations and managing to develop new-generation devices. Such disruptive technology corresponds to the backbone of the so-called Industry 4.0. The integration of robotic agents and IoT leads to the concept of the Internet of Robotic Things, in which innovation in digital systems is drawing new possibilities in both industrial and research fields, covering several domains such as manufacturing, agriculture, health, surveillance, and education, to name but a few. In this manuscript, the state-of-the-art of IoRT applications is outlined, aiming to mark their impact on several research fields, and focusing on the main open challenges of the integration of robotic technologies into smart spaces. IoRT technologies and applications are also discussed to underline their influence in everyday life, inducing the need for more research into remote and automated applications.

Internet of Robotic Things Intelligent Connectivity and Platforms

“…IoRT is associated with technological convergence challenges and opportunities that call for solutions to be addressed in the future (Ray, 2016 ; Vermesan et al, 2017b ; Simoens et al, 2018 ). Various technologies are needed for ensuring the connectivity and programmability of multiple heterogeneous robotic things to implement cooperation/coordination functions, system configuration, information exchange, system dependability, and privacy.…”

“…As the concept of IoRT is evolving and expanding, there are many definitions proposed in the literature (Kara and Carlaw, 2014 ; Ray, 2016 ; Vermesan et al, 2017b ; Simoens et al, 2018 ). The definition proposed by Kara and Carlaw ( 2014 ), states that IoRT is characterized by “intelligent devices that can monitor events, fuse sensor data from a variety of sources, use local and distributed intelligence to determine the best course of action,” while the definition provided by Ray ( 2016 ) focuses more on the robotic cloud concept.…”

“…IoRT is a relatively new field, and several attempts have been made (Ray, 2016 ; Batth et al, 2018 ; Yousif, 2018 ) to provide an IoRT architecture. These approaches are built on the IoT reference architectures developed many years ago and focusing only on one-dimensional layered architectural view.…”

Means of IoT and Fuzzy Cognitive Maps in Reactive Navigation of Ubiquitous Robots

“…A new concept of Internet of Robotic Things was defined recently, which encompasses robotics, cloud computing, and IoT. Thus, it is a challenge for the use of intelligent means like FCMs, too [52].…”

Energy-Efficient Cluster-Based Data Collection by a UAV with a Limited-Capacity Battery in Robotic Wireless Sensor Networks

“…Furthermore, using both robotics and WSNs with internet in cyber-physical systems (CPS) leads to the Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT), which has brought several changes in various domains that cover several applications in challenging environments. For example, IoRT systems can be used in manufacturing industries to execute difficult tasks such as assembling, packaging, welding, managing quality control, and so on autonomously and remotely [ 14 ].…”