Hardware Podcasts

Sensing at the Control Level: Leveraging Data for Both Safety and Analytics

Moore's Lobby · 19 May 2026 · 53m · Episode 3

AI in practice: 3 real uses of AI described

What this episode covers

Kate Sokolnicki, Global Business Director for Rockwell Automation's Sensing & Safety business unit, explains the shift from simple on/off sensors to smart devices providing dual-channel process and health data. She details how IO-Link and GuardLink protocols enable condition monitoring and precise fault identification in daisy-chained safety systems, reducing troubleshooting time. Sokolnicki emphasizes that while AI and vision systems are commoditized, their value depends on robust metadata and edge computing, urging young engineers to prioritize practical 'back-of-the-napkin' math over pure theory.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

ManufacturingRockwell Automation GuardLink protocolapproaching half $1000000 a year

AI-driven analytics on safety sensor data identified when a photoelectric sensor lens was getting dirty in a tire plant, allowing maintenance to clean it before failure, preventing product loss and downtime.

“their savings was, I think, approaching half $1000000 a year, just from that because they weren't checking out tires that are, um, very expensive and and every 2 that stuck together. You didn't just lose one. You lose two.”

Speaker 3 · Hear it at 41:55

Engineering & simulationRockwell Automation Vision AI

AI models analyze images from cameras to perform quality control checks, such as verifying if a label is applied correctly on products.

“we have a product of vision AI. It looks at, um, images of products and can tell, you know, quality control tax is the label on properly, something like that. That's all technically AI.”

Speaker 3 · Hear it at 12:16

Engineering & simulationRockwell Automation Architecture Class drives

AI is combined with motor current signature analysis on Variable Frequency Drives to look for potential failures on the load by analyzing the drive's operation.

“we can combine that with AI to look for potential failures, um, actually on the load, but looking at the drive to see, um, what could be going on.”

Speaker 3 · Hear it at 27:51

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Rockwell Automation, Allen-Bradley
Tools
IO-Link, GuardLink, MQTT, OPC UA
Also
First Robotics

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