Powering next-generation industry 4.0 by a self-learning and low-power neuromorphic system

With the continuous development of technologies, our society is approaching the next stage of industrialization. The Fourth Industrial Revolution also referred to as Industry 4.0, redefines the manufacturing system as a smart and connected machinery system with fully autonomous operation capability. Several advanced cutting-edge technologies, such as cyber-physical systems (CPS), internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence, are believed as the essential components to realize Industry 4.0. In this paper, we focus on a comprehensive review of how artificial intelligence benefits Industry 4.0, including potential challenges and possible solutions. A panoramic introduction of neuromorphic computing is provided, which is one of the most promising and attractive research directions in artificial intelligence. Subsequently, we introduce the vista of the neuromorphic-powered Industry 4.0 system and survey a few research activities on applications of artificial neural networks for IoT.