Page 68 - TT mag Oct-Nov -Digital

SMART MOBILITY 2018

Physical Internet

The logistics industry is undergoing
fundamental transformation due to various

reasons primarily due to increased customer
expectations and rise of new technology.
Originating from Professor Benoit Montreuil in

2006, this ground-breaking concept of Physical
Internet is revolutionizing current models of
logistics, writes Dr P Ravikumar, Associate

Director, C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram,
who spoke at the session on Emerging

Technologies at the Conference during Smart
Mobility 2018

hysical Internet’ by itself As per Montreuil, the Physical Internet proactively responding to inbound and
is not a technology – it (PI) aims to enable an efficient and outbound events and sharing assets,
is an innovative concept sustainable Logistics Web of seamlessly providing real-time or near real-time
making use of the emerging interconnected physical, digital, human, insights for timely decision making
Ptechnologies like Internet of organizational and social agents and through fusing multiple data sources
Things (IoT), Cyber Physical Systems networks for transporting objects as and integrating business judgement
(CPS), Robotics, Augmented Reality (AR), easy as the data packets are transported and complex calculations. Large scale
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Advanced in Digital Internet. The logistics web analysis of data is used to reduce
Analytics Algorithm, Big Data Analysis, shall serve needs for the mobility inconsistencies and produce reports
etc. and, the concept of Digital Internet of physical entities and distributing for quick decision making. Usage of
for moving physical objects from one physical objects through a territory to Internet of Things (IoT) which is the
place to another in a faster and more serve a market, and a set of clients network of physical devices, vehicles,
cost-effective. In logistics, the Physical for these objects. It shall also serve home appliances, and other items
Internet is an open global logistics the need for realizing physical objects embedded with electronics, software,
system founded on physical, digital, (manufacturing, production, assembly, sensors, actuators, and connectivity
and operational interconnectivity, finishing, personalization, retrofitting, enables these things to connect and
through encapsulation, interfaces and etc.), supply (acquiring, buying and exchange data, creating opportunities
protocols (Wikipedia). The logistics securing access to materials, parts, for more direct integration of the
shall have rapid response capability assemblies, products, systems, etc.) physical world into computer-based
having minimum variance and minimum and serve the need for physical objects systems.
inventory expense and shall be capable usage. Usage of IoT and computer-
of handling consolidated shipments of Data analytics is widely used in PI for based systems results in efficiency
high quality. It shall also support product reducing costs by driving down excessive improvements, economic benefits,
life cycle including reverse logistics. inventory - both staged and in-transit, and reduced human exertions. IoT

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