Wireless Sensor Networking (WSN) in Industrial Automation

Market Assessment for Monitoring and Control Applications

The industrial automation market periodically undergoes major shifts as new technologies improve the functionality and economics of industrial monitoring and control systems. The introduction of wireless sensor networking (WSN) represents just such a sea change. While proprietary P2P and P2MP wireless technologies have been used in a limited fashion since the 1980s to integrate a few hard-to-wire field devices into an overall wired control system, standards-based WSN promises to dramatically expand the number of devices in a plant that can be connected wirelessly. In contrast to P2P and P2MP connections, WSN utilizes self-forming, self-healing mesh networking to enable field devices to be deployed cost effectively without the need for site surveys or specially trained field technicians to manually configure directional antennas. Emerson Process Management estimates that WSN enables cost savings of up to 90% compared to the deployment of wired field devices.

However, WSN will not be appropriate for all industrial automation applications. This report analyzes: the market opportunity for WSN in industrial deployments, detailing where it will find traction (and where it will not); the implications of the key standards efforts including Wireless HART, Sp-100.11a, and “industrial” ZigBee; the implications WSN adoption will have for the market; and the key players involved in making WSN a reality in industrial automation.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

  • What is the TAM opportunity for WSN in industrial applications?
  • What factors influence the TAM opportunity for WSN in industrial applications?
  • How does the TAM opportunity for WSN vary by region?
  • What is the size of the current industrial automation market, and what will its size be in 2012?
  • How many 802.15.4 ICs shipped into industrial automation applications in 2006, and what are the growth trends for this market segment through 2012?
  • What are the key use-cases for WSN technology in industrial deployments, and what use-cases are not likely to see near-term adoption of WSN technology?
  • What are the key drivers and inhibitors impacting the market opportunity for WSN in industrial automation?
  • How is WSN technology likely to be deployed over the period from 2006 through 2012?
  • How will WSN technology intersect with current industrial control systems?
  • What implications does WSN as an "overlay" technology, rather than integrated into existing control systems, have on the market?
  • What are the key technical requirements for WSN in industrial use cases?
  • What are the three major efforts to standardize WSN in industrial applications?
  • How do those efforts relate to one another, and what are the individual prospects for widespread adoption for each of the standards?
  • Who are the key players involved in the market for WSN in industrial automation?

Who Needs This Report?

  • 802.15.4 IC vendors
  • WSN module vendors
  • WSN system vendors
  • Industrial automation field device and system vendors
  • Software framework vendors targeting the industrial market
  • Securities and investment analysts
  • Venture capitalists
  • Consultants targeting industrial automation applications
  • End-user companies looking to deploy WSN in industrial applications