A position sensing tool for enabling topographical measurements of a working surface is provided. The tool includes sensors for mapping the tool environment and for positioning of the tool within the environment. The tool enables tracking of tool activity within the environment. The tool enables design and fabrication collaboration with other computer systems. The tool enables user and tool environment safety using tool positional, user position and tool environment awareness. Certain embodiments of the tool permit automated guidance of tasks in the tool environment.

A method operates an industrial control system, which includes at least one stationary control device and at least one control-technology-based manual operator-control instrument, which can be carried by an operator-control person. In at least one of the manual operator-control instruments, at least one data-technology-based identifier is resident, which represents at least the respective hardware version and the respective software status of the respective manual operator-control instrument. The mode of response of the respective control device or of the entire control system in relation to reliability or non-reliability of the establishment of a control-technology-based interaction, in relation to functional response during an active control-technology-based interaction and in relation to functional response in connection with a termination of a control-technology-based interaction between the respective control device and the manual operator-control instrument is determined or influenced in dependence on this data-technology-based identifier. In addition, a correspondingly constructed control system is specified.

A control device for controlling a machine or system includes a monitoring unit designed and configured to monitor the functional state of a second control unit such that, when the second control unit is in an activated functional state, by which the machine or system is put into a safe state, the monitoring unit connects at least one input means associated with the second control unit to a first control unit such that non-safety-relevant functions of the machine or system can be triggered by manual actuation of the input means, as long as the second control unit is in its activated functional state in which the input means is not connected to the machine or system as a proper safety switching means.

Techniques to facilitate device configuration for a mobile application associated with an industrial automation environment are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, device configuration data for the mobile application is received from an application platform device registry server. The device configuration data is processed to determine at least a data retrieval configuration and a data visualization configuration. Data is retrieved from an industrial device using the data retrieval configuration, and a visualization of the data retrieved from the industrial device is presented using the data visualization configuration.

The present disclosure discloses a method for maintaining at least one field device of process automation technology, comprising the steps of connecting a smart device to the field device via a data connection and maintaining the field device via the smart device.

A human interface technique is disclosed for industrial automation systems. The technique allows for visualizations to be shared between devices, such as human machine interfaces, thin client interfaces, and so forth. The initial access to the visualization content may be based upon policies stored in a visualization manager, such as user identification, user role, user or device location, event triggers, and so forth. Once the user has access to the visualization content, it may be shared with other users in accordance with the policies, or in at least partial circumvention of the policies.

The invention regards a system and method for assisting reductive shaping of an object into a desired 3D-shape by removing material. The system comprises a tool and a localization means. The tool is configured to remove material from an object by means of a cutting function or a grinding function performed by a working head of the tool. The localization means determines a position of the working head relative to the desired 3D-shape. Each time the grinding function or cutting function would remove material from an inside of the desired 3D-shape the cutting or grinding function is deactivated.

A method of unloading mobile farm implements is presented. Unloading the mobile farm implement is accomplished by transmitting commands to unfold an auger arm and to open a container door and by monitoring weight measurements from the implement.

A method of unloading mobile farm implements is presented. Unloading the mobile farm implement is accomplished by transmitting commands to unfold an auger arm and to open a container door and by monitoring weight measurements from the implement.

Systems, methods, and software to facilitate management of industrial operations are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, a portable HMI device is connected to a display system via a video interface, wherein the video interface provides interchangeability between a plurality of different display systems. A plurality of applications is stored in the portable HMI device. A remote navigation interface of the portable HMI device receives a selection transmitted from a remote navigation device, wherein the selection is associated with an industrial operation application of the applications displayed on the display system. The portable HMI device processes the selection of the industrial operation application and responsively executes the industrial operation application to communicate with an application server. A communication interface of the portable HMI device receives industrial operation data associated with the industrial operation application transmitted from the application server over a communication network for display on the display system.