Edge Computing: Understanding The Tech From The Future

 We are surrounded by smart appliances from things as small as a smart-watch to as big as autonomous vehicles all use edge computing in some form. It is quite an interesting field to know the basics of, as it is a leap forward to server based computing.

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So what are we waiting for, let's dive in:

Keeping information processing near the source of data i.e. near the edge - where it is produced or consumed is known as edge computing. In simple words keeping information gathered and information processing close together.

Introduction

Edge computing allows one to gather, process and analyze data near its source and transmit only the relevant data to the data centers or central servers for further processing if required (It is like a friend who knows how to handle a situation and when to seek external help!). In easy words, providing sufficient intelligence to the data source to filter out the irrelevant data before transmitting it to the data center.

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For example - Walmart has thousands of stores and tens of thousands of surveillance cameras, gathering and transmitting such huge data is a humongous task and will also require expensive infrastructure, therefore it makes more sense to filter out the irrelevant data before transmitting, which is made possible with edge computing.

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Benefits:

• Cost saving as the same task can be accomplished with less bandwidth.

• Low latency as less data is transferred freeing up more bandwidth.

• Data flow is distributed making it less prone to attacks.

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Applications:

Edge computing as we have understood till now is a great leap forward in the field of data acquisition and processing. It finds its application in almost every domain one can think of, let us cover some of those briefly:

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Manufacturing- Increasing efficiency, as machines are programmed to handle variable loads and tolerances a per dynamic customer requirements. Predictive maintenance of machines to monitor and manage the performance. Automated quality checks to ensure products meet all requirements.

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Autonomous Vehicles- Autonomous Vehicles are equipped with at least 8 cameras and numerous sensors which generate humongous data. Transmission of complete data will create a delayed response time which poses a safety challenge. Edge computing provides necessary computing power to the vehicle thereby improving the response time.

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Logistics- Detecting driver tiredness thereby providing necessary feedback. Predictive maintenance of the fleet providing real time data thereby preventing breakdowns and supply chain shortages and loss.

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Smart Traffic System- Processing power is kept closer to the traffic lights thereby helping spontaneous decision making, reducing pollution and enhancing citizen experience. Edge computing simplifies traffic management.

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Healthcare- Edge computing can provide real time support for rural areas. Real time health monitoring, finding anomalies and alerting the doctor in real time, improving patient experience by tracking patient needs in real time.

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Limitations:

Edge computing comes with numerous advantages, the major limitation being huge initial setup cost. The required computing power at the edge requires an additional investment in addition to server and data acquisition cost. This limitation can be overcome by large scale implementation thereby promoting innovations and reducing costs.

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Way Forward:

• Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as a global leader in edge computing with India and China as leaders in innovation.

• Edge computing global market size is estimated to be USD 45 Billion by 2027.

• Smart cities using Edge computing will simplify citizens' lives in the most innovative and unimaginable ways.

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I just can't wait for edge computing to become mainstream. I am all prepared to ride the tidal wave of innovations by edge computing. Are you ready for the same? 

Let me know in the comments!