2020 will be a difficult year. Major currents in technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, Biomechanics and Additive Manufacturing, will be tempered by the state of markets and the economy. It appears as if the big slowdown is finally upon us. Will the US dollar relinquish its status as the world reserve currency? Will a liquidity shortage extend beyond banks into commercial enterprises? Will credit for large commercial enterprises dry-up and restrict investment? Will a recession turn into a run on banks and global depression? Hard times appear to be ahead. Yet innovation and its younger sister creativity continue to drive society forward. So, here are some trends that should shake up 2020 and beyond.
Internet of Things (IOT)
The grand expectation of the internet of things is coming to fruition. Connectivity between the world wide web and day to day hardware will continue to infiltrate every nook and cranny of our lives. Very soon, Alexa will not be the only unfamiliar voice in our homes, shops and offices. Unfortunately, privacy will continue to take a back seat during this expansion. Our smart refrigerator will not only chat with our toaster but also keep track of our purchases in order to inform “interested parties” about our purchasing habits, which could be good or bad depending upon one’s point of view. As a pioneer in the integration of sensor hardware with adaptive and intelligent software, AlphaSTAR understands the value of IOT and incorporates the technology into products and solutions where possible and logical. In the case of Additive Manufacturing, our AlphaSTAR products take advantage of in-situ monitoring, big data process, real time visualization and feed forward control. However, it does not stop there. AlphaSTAR engineers understand information is critical for build success.
