Mobile Rugged Computing Advances to Change the Material Handling Game

Rugged mobile devices should be certified safe to operate in environments where potentially explosive vapors or gases may be in the air. Photo courtesy of Durabook.

Rugged mobile computers are increasingly capable of supporting advanced technologies and applications.

By: Sasha Wang, Contributor

The future of material handling is automated, connected, and can hit a concrete warehouse floor from a 4-foot drop and still function. It supports and works in concert with emerging technologies like 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Edge and Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), enabling more sophisticated mobile computing applications and helping them be more effective and efficient. This article discusses how rugged mobile computers, increasingly capable of supporting advanced technologies and applications, will contribute to the material handling landscape and its challenges, contributing to operational performance, productivity, and worker safety and impacting organization structure.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Everything in material handling is moving faster, change is constant, and competition is ever-increasing. Technologies are emerging at a rapid pace and digitization and automation must be adopted as quickly as possible to keep the competitive edge sharp. The 5G cellular network standard is maturing and becoming more pervasive, with speeds many times that of its predecessor 4G along with very low latency. This is the environment in which Edge Computing can thrive and bring increased intelligence and functionality, and therefore more decision-making power to end-user devices in the warehouse or on the manufacturing floor. This technology trend puts a spotlight on the rugged mobile tablet or computer that in the past may have toiled on the sidelines.

Manufacturers of rugged laptops and tablets who stay educated on IT technologies and those likely to impact or use the mobile network have designed machines for optimal functionality with these new technologies. Newer rugged mobile devices should not only facilitate use of 5G, they should also possess increased computing power, highly reliable and versatile connectivity, longer battery life, a safe and effective cooling system, and advanced security features like multi-factor authentication options.

All of this, of course, is in addition to the ability of the device to handle extreme temperatures and hazardous environments and be light enough to reasonably carry around.

Edge Computing can bring more decision-making power to end-user devices. Photo courtesy of Durabook.

MORE POWERFUL RUGGED COMPUTING APPLICATIONS

Within utilities, in the oil and gas sectors, which can present hazardous conditions, rugged mobile computers are a valuable tool in asset management. And in warehouse management scenarios found across many industries rugged laptops and tablets may be used as part of a just-in-time inventory management strategy where it accurately tracks mission-critical supplies, providing real-time inventory data.

The rugged mobile device may be used to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, to inspect and monitor inventory, collecting massive amounts of data to crunch and use for process improvement to improve efficiency. Similarly, the drone may be flown over manufacturing lines for routine monitoring, troubleshooting, and data gathering. This data can be continuously fed into a Digital Twin model where future organization, processes, and applications may be tried out. Or the rugged device may be equipped to ‘drive’ autonomous mobile robots or automated guided vehicles used to automate material handling processes.

OPTIONS BECOME STANDARD

As technologies and applications continually evolve, rugged computer options become standard for customization to the industry and use case. For example, a hot swappable battery drastically extends operational time. Connectivity options provide greater versatility and flexibility. Optional additional storage drives can turn a device into a workstation and support data storage disk striping or mirroring. For graphics rendering, architectural illustrations, and CAD applications, some devices support the option of a dedicated NVIDIA® Quadro T1000. And, finally, for protection against sophisticated attacks in data-sensitive industries, 5MP infrared camera, supporting Windows Hello facial recognition, and Windows 11 secured-core PC, provides greater security.

TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE OF THE WORKER

For all the fear about AI replacing workers, it is worth noting that industries everywhere are losing seasoned workers at an unprecedented pace as the Baby Boom generation retires. Meanwhile, the influx of technologies and the applications they support clearly indicates a greater need for professionals with technical expertise throughout an organization, not only in the IT offices away from the physical action of material handling. The tech-forward way of working appeals to the incoming generation of workers.

Ultimately, the introduction of any new technology should be about increasing efficiencies, speeding operations, and reducing costs. Warehouse and manufacturing technology leaders may be surprised to find growing contributors to these advances and benefits in places once considered the sidelines. WMHS

Durabook Americas is an innovator in purpose-built, rugged computing solutions serving the commercial sector of North America with the Durabook line of rugged laptops and tablets. Sasha Wang is president of Durabook Americas, Inc. Sasha has 20 years’ experience in the rugged-computer industry and previously served as Durabook’s director of global sales and marketing. For more information visit www.durabook.com.