Smart Transport Solutions Fight Back Against Globalization, Urbanization & Vast Populations 

Intelligent transportation systems now provide a proven strategy for addressing numerous problems faced in our “intelligent” society. Safety, congestion & continual growth are just a couple of the problems that intelligent systems can counter as well as offering improved efficiency, productivity and environmental impacts. The wider integration of technology in transportation is mandatory, transport is the circulatory system of any economy, the complex infrastructure that supports our journeys and the products that sustain civilization. It is sometimes forgotten just how pivotal this industry is- everything you touch and see has been transported into your world from somewhere wholly different.

Their integration will become effortless in the smart cities of the future and in the current systems that facilitate our every need. However the truth is that more than anything, these smart forms of transport are more than appropriate for our world, they are compulsory. Why? Three words- globalization, population and urbanization. All three are conspiring to overthrow transportation systems the world over and the issues spring from their very nature, current systems were simply not designed for the sheer volume they now have to contend with. The last 50 years has seen international trade in manufactured goods grow one hundred times over. In 1950 eighty-three cities consisted of over a million people, now there is over 476. IBM predicts that as population growth continues, demands on the transportation systems is expected to grow at twice the rate.

Hence some of the largest investments in recent history, with India investing trillions into their own smart cities project and an expected 30 trillion to be spent by governments on colossal transportation schemes in the next 20 years. The crucial understanding is that these investments aren’t just for the masses of products and people but instead these vast investments will as transportation always has- support and improve economic development...CONTINUE READING 

Brand New Industrial Panel PC (IPPC) Models at Assured Systems

Touchscreen panel’s popularity has exploded in recent years and not just because of smart phones but instead, the economic notion of Jevons Paradox- when technological progress increases efficiency (as we are currently seeing) the benefits of that progress becomes almost muted or even drowned due to the increased rate of consumption because of the demand for the newer, most efficient models. And, as you see when you look in almost any direction- screens, displays and touchscreens are now nowhere near personal devices they are now commercial tools, programmable intelligence that will one day, likely be your colleague. Hence it is now that the relationship between man and machine are almost connected, interfaces are becoming cutting-edge, they need to be more functional, ergonomic and have a beneficial, notable ROI. This allows for organizations to easily integrate the latest technology such as IoT installations and have an efficient, simple and practical human machine interface (HMI) for staff to work with.

Some of our newest inclusions into our Panel PC range are built specifically for the purpose. Seamless design for easy navigation and a clinical front- all with IP66 rating for total dust exclusion and significant water protection from jets and waves. The aluminium body of the new PCs enable further protection in harsh industrial environments where additional protection against shock and vibration ensure the systems longevity and reliability in your installation.

Crucially though, these new displays are built to take high performance into the most rugged environments, with 5000:1 contrast ratio and a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080, 16.7 million colours are available all at extended viewing angles. The new monitors range from 16” to 21” and run on the powerful J1900 Intel Celeron quad core-processors respectively, but as well as the stunning display and heavy-duty specification, the P-cap 10 point multi-touch display uses the latest projected capacitive touch technology, to provide a simple, clerical and effective interface for all stakeholders, check out the new products and let the vast specifications show you exactly why these industrial panel PCs are in such high demand... CONTINUE READING

Graphene is the wondrous super material that is quite literally out of this world, not least because its ever-growing list of potential applications and capabilities seem like those from a marvel comic, but also because as of right now as it has been for a while, Graphene is totally impractical. Applications are extensive but its usability is not, just 1 square inch is roughly $60 whilst it is widely proposed that Graphene needs to reach just $1 per square inch to make it feasible in technological applications whilst for touchscreen applications 10 cents per square inch is the marker.

Graphene is a sensation as it’s made-up from 1 honeycombed layer of atoms. That is a singular layer of atoms that you can pick up which is absolutely incredible. It is the world’s first 2D material and has sent scientists and industrialists into meltdown and rightly so. The Graphene Flagship Consortium- including Nokia- have just won a huge grant from the EU for Graphene development and research spread over the next 10 years. Graphene is made from Graphite, the very same Graphite which is in your pencil, it was discovered back in 2004 at the University of Manchester and 6 years down the line, Professor Andre Geim and Dr Kostya Novoselov collected the 2010 Nobel Prize for their troubles.

It is effectively grown in a process called mechanical exfoliation and though difficult you can replicate this yourself by combining Graphite powder, water, and dishwashing liquid at a high-speed blend and there you have it, the strongest material known to mankind. Whilst most scaled techniques manage less than half a gram per hour the real demand is for larger scale, cheaper production. The developments are hugely exciting, the strength is a pivotal factor yes, with a fraction of graphene improving polyesters strength by 50%, but it is the thermal properties that are invigorating industries with our heavy reliance on technology and the lack of real-life applications to match which is exactly the ...CONTINUE READING

New Generation of Industrial Computers

Assured Systems is happy to launch an exciting new range of embedded computer platforms based on Intel's 6th Generation 'Skylake' technology which offers the best performance to date.  The NUVO range offers a solution for every application including traditional automation, in-vehicle or demanding machine vision applications.  With standard operating temperatures of -25°C to 70°C and rugged fanless designs, these systems are at the forefront of industrial computing.  Some of the newest systems are below, offering a innovative range of features.

NUVO-5100VTC: Fanless 6th Generation Intel Core In-vehicle System

The NUVO 5100VTC is built specifically for transportation purposes with various measures taken to guarantee extremely rugged connections (M12 x-coded) in applications where high shock/vibration are present. Using Intel’s 6th Generation Core processor you have the choice between i7/i5 or i3 to provide maximum versatility, it also has an in-built CAN bus for in-vehicle communication. Additionally there are 4 x 802.3at PoE+ ports to supply 25W power to the connected device whilst 2 more Gigabit Ethernet ports by RJ-45 are present for data communications. The systems features Ignition power control and dual-drive RAID storage alongside e-mark certifications for compliance in vehicle computing. 

 NUVO-6000 Series: Fanless Industrial Box PCs with Various Expansion Options

The brand-new Nuvo-6000 is space saving replacement of your blocky rack-mount or wall mount IPC systems, utilizing Intel’s 6th Generation CPU on the Skylake platform all collated into a compact fanless embedded computer. There are various options in terms of processing power with the Nuvo-6000 supporting LGA1151 socket-type CPU from 6th Gen Core i7 to Intel’s Celeron dependent upon your performance and cost requirements, its 5 x COM ports, 4 x USB 3.0 and 2 x GbE ports provide front-accessible I/O design for improved functionality. The Nuvo-6000’s fanless design entails extraordinary reliability with adaptable mounting options from wall, DIN-rail and rack-mounting capabilities. The Nuvo-6000 is a setting the bar in industrial computing with numerous customization possibilities to collate an embedded computer that fits directly into your line of business- get in touch for more information!

 NUVO-5000LP: Fanless 6th Generation Intel Core Embedded System with RAID

The NUVO-5000LP is a low profile embedded system which offers a high performance computing platform in a compact, fanless chassis designed for industrial and embedded applications. The NUVO-5000LP is based on Intel's 6th generation processor technology, codenamed Skylake. Offering rugged performance over a wide temperature range of -25°C to 70°C, the NUVO-5000 can be used in outdoor or mobile applications. The NUVO-5000 offers plenty of I/O functionality as standard including up to 6 Ethernet ports (NUVO-5006LP), optional PoE ports, 8 USB ports, multiple display outputs supporting 4K2K resolutions, 3 serial ports, audio, and 2 SATA interfaces with RAID 0/1 support. The system also offers a range of expansion including... see more at www.assured-systems.com

As huge supporters of the IoT we are delighted to see the scale of investment in recent months which we’d go as far to say has been absolutely cataclysmic. It’s a transparent swing that is solely a matter of time before it directly affects you. We highly recommend the IoT integration into your machines, networks, systems and services and will provide you with all the expert, global industry support you need, it’s not just about endorsing time, space and money but also efficiency and most crucially of all education. Equipping the IoT allows you to benefit from M2M communications and in depth analysis into data that ultimately educates an organization and define its future.

The incredible thing about the IoT is that the opportunities are just as pivotal and widespread for SMEs as for the global powerhouses- but in any stretch of the imagination it is the global powerhouses of whom are pioneering the technology, but who are they, how much are they investing and what are they actually investing in?

India Smart Cities Project is the colossus, the Indian government has announced a $2trillion package for its own IoT strategy to interconnect 100 cities across the country. Overkill? India has the fastest growing economy in the world outpacing China consistently in the last two quarters, no one is investing more in the IoT, India are setting the benchmark for their future developments with first phase completion expected in 2023.

Global force IBM have invested $3billion to connect to the IoT which will be established between 2015 and 2019, as they look to produce a new unit for clients and partners to build IoT solutions having already contributed to the Smarter Planet and Smarter Cities program ranging from water management, retail optimization and customer loyalty, to alleviating congestions combining and analysing data from various sources.

Google are also heavy endorsers as you’d expect, after investing $3.7million in various acquisitions including that of their entry into the smart home market where Apple, Samsung and even Facebook are hedging their bets. Although this has nothing on its $12.5billion spend on Motorola Mobility to further bolster its IoT infantry in what was Google’s biggest ever single spend!

GE are also going through rounds of investments with their controversial takeover of Alstom’s power business- ALSO.PA- GE’s investment in the internet of things or industrial internet of things comprises of a $2.5billion move to decipher its technological future, its focused industries are Power, Water, Oil and Gas, Energy Management, Aviation, Healthcare and Transportation have been the clear reason with GE realizing the broader trend and benefits of becoming IIoT ready across all of their divisions. The company says turning industrial machinery into smart industrial machines has become extremely cost effective and permitted business agility at all levels, no wonder- having worked with IBM and HP to produce sensors for almost every application.

The world leader in mobile chip making, Qualcomm has expanded its 3G, 4G and next generation of wireless technologies with the purchase of Cambridge Silicon Radio. CSR were pioneers in Bluetooth technology for machine-to-machine communication with a consequential impact on the automotive and the highly anticipated wearable market. Qualcomms focus is more the rapid growth of the Internet of Things with other purchases including Wilocity and AllJoyn in recent years.

EE is pioneering the movement in the UK with a $2.2billion investment in their 4G footprint by 2017 it is a part of their “Signalling the Future” manifesto to adapt the UKs infrastructure into a new reality of a 24/7 connected society across the country. They have faced considerable criticism for their lack of coverage in certain areas though through this strategy are aiming for world leading 90% voice and data services to the UK and 99.6% reliability. They are also considering the adoption of 5G speeds within the next decade laying the foundations for the UK to become a global leader in not just communications but its IoT infrastructure as a whole.

Of course the aforementioned projects are on a world leading scale, but it does highlight the potential prosperity that theIoT promotes, integration is quite simple with either an interchange or integration of a gateway device, Nexcom’s NISE 50C is a brand new embedded computer that does just that, it has numerous versatile functions that enable you to have real-time control over your network of devices and/or sensors, whilst you then have the option of controlling all from the business manager tool in Microsoft’s Azure IoT suite. Machine-to-machine communication and seamless cloud integration gives you the choice in how to control and monitor your devices, whether it be for asset management, predictive maintenance or cloud-based monitoring.

The NISE 50C makes it exceptionally easy to step up to the IoT and begin to realise the huge array of accompanying benefits and what it could do for you, an onboard dual-core Intel Atom E3826 provides the power whilst 4 latest generation 2.0 USB ports give super-fast connectivity along with 3 x RS232 and 1 HDMI port. The Microsoft Azurecertified IoT computer is has a compact, solid state design using heat dissipation technology for maximal strength and endurance giving you an industrial IoT solution that cannot only get you and your devices connected but it can also withstand the toughest of environments, allowing you to govern devices, manage, store and transmit data and harness data that you could not before all with the option of Microsoft Azure’s preconfigured solutions for analysis, visualization and ultimately superior control, the desire to get connected is greater than ever, and there is no better time than the present.

About Assured Systems

Assured Systems is a leading technology company offering high quality and innovative applied computing solutions to the embedded, industrial, and digital-out-of-home markets across the world. Headquartered in Stone, England and with offices in North America, our reach is truly global. Our impressive product portfolio includes a full range of Fanless Embedded Computer Systems, Digital Signage & Multimedia Computer Systems, Touchscreen Panel PCs, Human Machine Interfaces, Vehicle Mount Computers, Rackmount Computer Systems, Single Board Computers, Rugged Laptops & Tablets.

Elon Musk’s visionary status is almost confirmed, Tesla has become a successful working model whilst SpaceX, well, that depends what videos you’ve seen but the intent is clear. Now renamed Hyperloop One Musk himself described the enterprise as “a cross between Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table” after originally pioneering the idea. The basis of the project is based on a very high speed transit (VHST) originally innovated in 1972 combining a magnetic levitation train with a low pressure transit tube- although many of the original ideas have evolved. Companies are jumping at the chance to be a part of such a technology which proclaims London to Edinburgh or LA to San Francisco in less than 30 minutes!

How does it work?

Well the Hyperloop uses air bearings for pods the similar to the maglev based train in Japan which achieves speeds of 500km/h with electromagnetic levitation. This is the decisive factor that pretty much encases Hyperloop One, it is the complete exemption of friction that allows such high speeds and conceptual ideas to become a reality. Alternatively Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is considering passive magnetic levitation with magnets on the train and on the aluminum track, whereas the maglev technique needs powered tracks with copper coiling which has major cost implications. 

The tunnels of which the pods will move through will have a proportion of air removed to lower the pressure and hence less resistance against the pod, improving efficiency and of course speed. Original VHST plans proposed a vacuum though various factors have arisen to oppose the option with stations and other commodities causing a break rendering the system useless.

Hyperloop have therefore decided that intermittent air pumps will be used to lower the air pressure, the Hyperloop’s tunnels are expected to be metal as an overground system further developments such as solar panels along the top of the Hyperloop line could generate enough power for the whole system whilst running underground systems should not be too difficult with very rapid boring technology permitting direct and....continue reading

About Assured Systems

Assured Systems is a leading technology company offering high quality and innovative applied computing solutions to the embedded, industrial, and digital-out-of-home markets across the world. Headquartered in Stone, England and with offices in North America, our reach is truly global. Our impressive product portfolio includes a full range of Fanless Embedded Computer Systems, Digital Signage & Multimedia Computer Systems, Touchscreen Panel PCs, Human Machine Interfaces, Vehicle Mount Computers, Rackmount Computer Systems, Single Board Computers, Rugged Laptops & Tablets.

The IoT is an inevitable integration, well on the way to bringing humans and machinery closer together than ever before, some may say as one- afterall human are about the only thing wholeheartedly connected to the IoT. The sooner you integrate, the sooner the benefits become apparent, including intelligent manufacturing processes, data acquisition from intelligent networks of devices, M2M networks.

All the major players have their eyes goggling at the opportunity Apple launched its HomeKit app for all of its mobile devices whilst Google recently acquired Learning Thermostat-maker Nest Labs (for a pricey $3.2billion), Samsung also followed suit purchasing SmartThings- the maker of a hub that can control and coordinate devices from various manufacturers. At the huge CES exhibition this year the IoT dominated with a host of manufacturers leading the way into the future of our evermore connected world. 

The industrial IoT (IIoT) is much more advanced than the commercial IoT due to the prevalence of connected sensors- billions of sensors including pressure, level, flow, temperature, vibration, acoustic, position, analytical are installed and operated throughout the industrial sector. Interpreting this data is extremely cheap and the value that they add is beyond any seen before allowing users to see stats and analysis that 20 years ago- simply weren’t even a question and turning this into actionable data. It is especially for the IIoT performance and efficiency improving with personnel taking corrective action when necessary.

But a key perspective is of that from the IIoT user with extensive examples indicating an ROI within 6 months. A vital indication of the kind of impact and level at which the IoT can be integrated is that of Raytheon Missile Systems in the home of the Grand Canyon- Arizona or more specifically Tucson, Arizona where there IoT make-over has been a 5-year process, but they haven’t gone for a few sensors- more so a complete overhaul.

Including an Immersive Design Center allowing thermal, electrical, mechanical and industrial engineers a 360 degree space to work with senior assemblers and testers from the factory floor. They have also created a Fusion Factory where robotic elements reduce test time and collaborate with workers on set tasks- all connected and integrated into a manageable, systematic, efficient network. Work stations are automated as well as AGVs (automated guided vehicles) to move with the workers requirements for ergonomic functionality, in one of the most complete IoT integrations we’ve ever seen!

Wireless routers hanging from the buildings ceilings provide communication with the AGVs that are programmed to stop automatically should any object become an obstacle. The centerpiece of the Immersive Design Center is a 3D simulatedCAVE to produce 3D missile and factory layouts including Oculus Rift virtual reality to maximize the current available technology and translate its wider applications into a manufacturing/design process.

The Arizona based factory produces Raytheon Missiles such as an Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, patrolling through space to track and attack enemy missiles produced in their “Space Factory”- it sounds incredible with a stupendous list of embedded computers, communication servers and data acquisition units culminating in this quite incredible application of the IoT.

If you’re looking to integrate the IoT into your working field or would like more information to what it could do for you, we have offices in the UK and in Greenville, South Carolina providing global support with our wealth of knowledge in the embedded industrial field so whether you’re looking for automation, intelligent machines or just an hardware and/or software update Assured Systems have the solution.

About Assured Systems

Assured Systems is a leading technology company offering high quality and innovative applied computing solutions to the embedded, industrial, and digital-out-of-home markets across the world. Headquartered in Stone, England and with offices in North America, our reach is truly global. Our impressive product portfolio includes a full range of Fanless Embedded Computer Systems, Digital Signage & Multimedia Computer Systems, Touchscreen Panel PCs, Human Machine Interfaces, Vehicle Mount Computers, Rackmount Computer Systems, Single Board Computers, Rugged Laptops & Tablets.