Embedding Active Asset Administration Shells in the Internet of Things using the Smart Systems Service Infrastructure

Abstract

In many sectors of the economy, modularization and linkage of distributed structures has significantly increased flexibility. Thereby, individual customer demands and changing conditions can be adressed. While this concept is often applied to closed systems whose control is coordinated by central components or can follow defined processes, concepts for the implementation in decentralized and open systems are missing. Such processes can be found in different domains of application, such as logistics, the construction industry or forestry. The use of active asset administration shells for modularized objects enables elements of a system or products to take over parts of the control and coordination. Production systems are enabled to act autonomously. A service infrastructure provides the necessary directory services to provide the asset administration shells with an entry point and to offer suitable routing services. The overall structure is demonstrated and evaluated using a representative example from forestry.