Plug-and-play sensor platform for legacy industrial machine monitoring

In this paper, we describe a plug-and-play sensor platform for legacy industrial machine pervasive monitoring, which was designed, developed and implemented in one of GE's manufacturing facilities. The presented solution is a low cost, small footprint method for real-time visibility into auxiliary equipment critical to manufacturing operations. The solution was largely enabled by low cost wireless sensors and open source edge-devices and software. Specifically, the hardware consists of sensor nodes that monitor the machines status, and a gateway unit that connects these nodes with command and control in the cloud. Benefits of the presented sensor platform include enhanced productivity, improved energy efficiency and reduced costs by enabling manufacturers to rapidly gain new knowledge and insights into their operations through real-time visibility of critical equipment health.