(Image courtesy of Intel Free Press.)

There are numerous examples of items that started out as consumer goods having a major impact on manufacturing. Smartphones are an obvious example—not just for receiving calls and emails while you’re offsite, but for quality applications and predictive maintenance as well.

In a similar vein, wearable technologies could also drastically change the way manufacturing personnel carrying out their daily tasks. This includes everything from using RFID for access control to full-on augmented reality, via HUDs like the DAQRI smart helmet or Google Glass.

To many of those from the old guard in manufacturing, this probably sounds overoptimistic. However, a recent survey by Zebra Technologies Corporation, a supplier of mobile computers, scanners and barcode printers, found that half of all manufacturers surveyed are planning to adopt wearable technologies by 2022.

Zebra surveyed 1,100 manufacturing executives from around the globe for its Manufacturing Vision Study, which also revealed that manufacturers are adopting the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to enhance visibility and improve quality.

According to the study, the number of organizations with fully connected factories will rise dramatically over the next five years to 64 percent, compared to 43 percent today.

(Image courtesy of Zebra Technologies Corporation.)

The study also suggested that pen-and-paper tracking methods will see a sharp decline. Today, 62 percent of respondents said they use written records to track vital manufacturing steps, but the proportion is expected to drop to one in five by 2022.

Interestingly, the study also found that 51 percent of respondents plan to expand their use of voice technology over the next five years, with the most dramatic growth happening in the largest companies, i.e., those worth over $1 billion USD.

(Image courtesy of Zebra Technologies Corporation.)

“Manufacturers are entering a new era in which producing high-quality products is paramount to retaining and acquiring customers as well as capturing significant cost savings that impact the bottom line,” said Jeff Schmitz, senior VP and CMO at Zebra.

“The results of Zebra’s 2017 Manufacturing Vision Study prove that IIoT has crossed the chasm and savvy manufacturers are investing aggressively in technologies that will create a smarter, more connected plant floor to achieve greater operational visibility and enhance quality.”

For more information on the Industrial Internet of Things, check out The IIoT in a Nutshell.