The affordably connected factory: A brief evaluation of sensors and hardware deployed in industrial applications

An explosion in the volume of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) research has failed to fully resonate with industry. Better communication of requirements to researchers will help avoid wasteful IIoT research using attractively priced but functionally dead-end hardware. A robust and systematic evaluation of popular low-cost IIoT devices based on fitment for purpose will increase industry adoption of new technology built on that hardware. Specific hardware examples that have already been adopted by industry are presented. Based on that evaluation, general traits to consider when selecting IIoT hardware for research and development purposes are outlined; we propose that projects built with these criteria in mind are far more likely to be applied by industry and further developed.