The Electronics Industry is Changing, You Should Too!


Sustainable Manufacturing

Climate change has been a passionate topic for many people within the last few years due to recent statistics. Climate change is caused by human activity, as opposed to Earth’s natural processes. According to Global Climate Change, the planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions being pumped into the atmosphere. Scientists have determined that the major factor causing current climate change are greenhouse gases and emissions. Because of this, there has been huge pressure on engineers to produce sustainable products which have a reduced impact on the climate. Not only is there pressure for electronic engineers to produce products that are made in an environmentally friendly way, but also products that are environmentally friendly throughout their lifespan. According to Survey Monkey, 35% of people are willing to spend more money on products that are better for the environment. Engineers strive to create products which are in high demand and makes people feel good about buying. Therefore, it’s important that they incorporate this new environmentally friendly trend when designing products. The trend is producing products which preserve natural resources, are cost-efficient and support human and natural environments.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the term used for robotic / machine intelligence. So far, AI has received positive feedback with its reliability along with efficiency. However, Artificial intelligence is a very controversial subject. Many people don’t like the idea of AI as it’s an electronic judgement which supposedly can analyse right from wrong. AI can be featured within many industries such as medical, automotive, technology and the educational sector.

AI within the medical sector has proven successful and reliable. According to ‘Sky News Study’, Artificial Intelligence is better than expert radiologists at spotting breast cancer. This results in fewer mistakes made my radiologists and more accurate results for patients. The study found that an AI system developed by Google Health can identify cancer in breast screening mammograms with fewer false positives and fewer false negatives than radiologists. AI also features within the automotive sector. The automotive sector is one of the fastest growing industries thanks to the latest technology and driving hacks. AI is implemented within this industry in systems such as automatic braking, driver assist, predictive maintenance and driver recognition. Artificial intelligence within the automotive sector will result in devices constantly learning and adjusting to the rules of the road. According to Motley, the $127 billion autonomous vehicle market is being driven by AI. That’s how much the self-driving car market is expected to be worth worldwide by 2027. Within the next decade, I think artificial intelligence will be a huge trend within marketing divisions such as selling assets, promoting services and collecting information. AI can be used in marketing by leveraging information from customers and delivering the right message back to them. Many other organisations are recognising that AI is the way forward. According to The NEWS Minute, Telangana has declared 2020 as the year of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and has signed several MoU’s with various firms and institutions.

Despite great possibilities, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has many potential flaws. Namely AI could create danger to individuals along with wildlife and data if there is a malfunction. For example, if Artificial Intelligence is better than expert radiologists at spotting breast cancer then there could be a reliance on it. If all radiologists relied on AI to detect serious illnesses such as cancer and AI did not detect anything when cancer was present, this could result in serious consequences for the patient. Including this, there are many dangerous side effects to artificial intelligence that can occur such as programming defects. This could result in damage to other vehicles along with pedestrians.

Robotics Taking Over

Self-driving cars are a huge hit with the likes of Mercedes, Tesla and Audi. According to tech world, Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler has teamed up with arch-rival BMW to develop self-driving car technology. Daimler previously announced that it aims to launch driverless robot taxis in the early 2020s. The company has licences to test its self-driving vehicles on public roads in Germany, the USA and China, where it is the first foreign company granted permission to test its autonomous cars. This may lower employment demand for lorry drivers, bus drivers and taxis. The autonomous vehicle market will grow from $54.23 billion in 2019 to $556.67 billion in 2026, according to Allied Market Research estimates. Other job sectors that have been in low demand due to the latest technology would be ticket wardens. Many train stations nowadays have machines that dispense tickets rather than employing someone to do so. This is also found in airports. Many check-in points are employee less and are operated solely by machines. According to wired.com, Amazon employs more than 100,000 robots in its US warehouses, alongside more than 125,000 human workers. However, as robotics and software become smarter and more adaptable, many more workers will be displaced.

Robots are also very positive for organisations and individuals. Robotics are also very successful within the automotive industry. Many drivers rely on park assist and self-driving features. Without AI / robotics giving a helping hand when it comes to driving, I believe that many drivers could struggle to park in more congested areas.

5G

For many who may not know, 5G is the term used for wireless technology. The difference between 5G and 4G is that 5G is believed to be faster, smarter and more efficient. With speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second, 5G is set to be as much as 100 times faster than 4G. According to 5G.com, 5G is set to open up a whole new set of use cases such as: superfast 5G broadband with no need for landlines, super smart factories, car to car and car to infrastructure communication, driverless cars, holographic technology, the arrival of 5G phones, 5G sim only and devices such as 5G TVs, and remote/ distance health care for patients. In my opinion, companies must consider the business implications of having stable and fast internet access everywhere. Data will be easier than ever to receive and transfer. Technology and data are a huge aspect of today’s world and the 5G trend will swoop in very quickly.

Turning Digital

According to Ecommerce News, 87% of UK retail purchases are made online. The increase in online transactions is thanks to the speedy and efficient checkout times. Online shopping saves time and potentially money which makes it more appealing to customers. Many organisations have been turning 100% digital which saves money on shop rent and staff.

Climate Change

Electronics allow us to monitor global warming changes such as rising sea levels, global temperature increase and greenhouse gas levels. With the advanced technology we have today, it is easy to access environmental data and see the impacts we are causing on the planet’s wellbeing. In today’s age, we can predict and monitor abnormal weather and temperatures. For example, using the most advanced technology, NASA were able to discover that the oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of more than 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. Along with this, the advanced electronics which NASA have created provides us with the data that the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost an average of 286 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016. Without electronics, we probably wouldn’t know of the damage we have already caused to the environment and nothing would be done to prevent anymore destruction. Many companies are manufacturing in a more sustainable manor to help the environment.

Electric Cars

Electric cars are better for the environment as they produce less greenhouse gasses and air pollutants. Electric cars require no petrol or diesel which means no harmful pollutants are released into the atmosphere. Vehicles that run on petrol or diesel will produce gases such as particulates (soot), volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Alternatively, electric cars run on electricity (hence the name!). Nowadays, electricity can be produced from solar panels which is a sustainable way to create power rather than the burning of fossil fuels. Many organisations such as UPS have invested millions into new electric delivery vehicles to reduce emissions and contribute to a greener planet!

By Amy Leary, Marketing Manager at eBOM.com!

 

 


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