Possible Applications of Edge Computing in the Manufacturing Industry—Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This article presents the results of research with the main goal of identifying possible applications of edge computing (EC) in industry. This study used the methodology of systematic literature review and text mining analysis. The main findings showed that the primary goal of EC is to reduce the time required to transfer large amounts of data. With the ability to analyze data at the edge, it is possible to obtain immediate feedback and use it in the decision-making process. However, the implementation of EC requires investments not only in infrastructure, but also in the development of employee knowledge related to modern computing methods based on artificial intelligence. As the results of the analyses showed, great importance is also attached to energy consumption, both in ongoing production processes and for the purposes of data transmission and analysis. This paper also highlights problems related to quality management. Based on the analyses, we indicate further research directions for the application of edge computing and associated technologies that are required in the area of intelligent resource scheduling (for flexible production systems and autonomous systems), anomaly detection and resulting decision making, data analysis and transfer, knowledge management (for smart designing), and simulations (for autonomous systems).