An apparatus for selecting a transmission mode for wirelessly transmitting a message comprising control information for robotic device control is provided. The apparatus is configured to compare a current message with a previous message to identify a change in the control information, and to select one of a normal transmission mode and a robust transmission mode, wherein the robust transmission mode is selected if a change in the control information is identified. In another variant, the apparatus is configured to obtain a count of consecutively not correctly received messages, and to select one of a normal transmission mode and a robust transmission mode based on the obtained count, wherein the robust transmission mode is selected if the count equals or approaches a threshold. The apparatus is also configured to trigger wireless transmission of the current message with the selected transmission mode.

A technique for providing reliable wireless communication between a robot (104) and a robot controller (102) in a cloud robotics system is disclosed. A method implementation of the technique is performed by a primary connectivity component (106) supporting multipath transmission over a plurality of wireless transmission paths to establish connectivity between the robot (104) and the robot controller (102). The method comprises triggering determining (S402) a robot sensitivity value indicating a degree of operation sensitivity of the robot (104) to a transmission failure between the robot (104) and the robot controller (102), and triggering configuring (S404) use of one or more of the plurality of wireless transmission paths for communication between the robot (104) and the robot controller (102) depending on the determined robot sensitivity value.

Embodiments include a system for prognosis of a wireless aircraft network including a network manager including a network prognostic manager, one or more data controllers operably coupled to the network manager over a first connection, and one or more wireless nodes operably coupled to the one or more data controllers over a second connection, wherein the second connection is a different type of connection than the first connection, wherein the network manager includes a network prognostic manager, wherein the network prognostic manager. The network manager performs a method of receiving measured parameters from a wireless communications network, computing thresholds associated with the parameters, comparing the received parameters to the computed thresholds, identifying a failure condition based on the comparison of the received parameters to the computed thresholds, and based at least in part on the identified failure condition, executing a corrective action.

A technique for providing reliable wireless communication between a robot (104) and a robot controller (102) in a cloud robotics system is disclosed. A method implementation of the technique is performed by a primary connectivity component (106) supporting multipath transmission over a plurality of wireless transmission paths to establish connectivity between the robot (104) and the robot controller (102). The method comprises triggering determining (S402) a robot sensitivity value indicating a degree of operation sensitivity of the robot (104) to a transmission failure between the robot (104) and the robot controller (102), and triggering configuring (S404) use of one or more of the plurality of wireless transmission paths for communication between the robot (104) and the robot controller (102) depending on the determined robot sensitivity value.

Conveyor system, for instance for conveying goods, packages and the like including at least two wired motor-roller controllers, wherein each wired motor-roller controller has at least one motor-roller control port and at least one wired signal bus port, at least two wireless motor-roller controllers, wherein each wireless motor-roller controller has at least on motor-roller control port and a wireless port, and wherein the two wired motor-roller controllers are connected in series along the signal bus via the signal bus port, wherein at each wired motor-roller controller senses a signal strength of wireless signals of the wireless motor-roller controllers, and the wired motor-roller controllers exchange information about the sensed signal strengths.

Embodiments include a system for prognosis of a wireless aircraft network including a network manager including a network prognostic manager, one or more data controllers operably coupled to the network manager over a first connection, and one or more wireless nodes operably coupled to the one or more data controllers over a second connection, wherein the second connection is a different type of connection than the first connection, wherein the network manager includes a network prognostic manager, wherein the network prognostic manager. The network manager performs a method of receiving measured parameters from a wireless communications network, computing thresholds associated with the parameters, comparing the received parameters to the computed thresholds, identifying a failure condition based on the comparison of the received parameters to the computed thresholds, and based at least in part on the identified failure condition, executing a corrective action.

A control network for supporting multiple industrial automation devices which operate in radio coverage of at least one radio access network includes: a processor configured to execute applications; at least two wireless network interfaces, each configured to communicate with the automation devices; and a traffic controller configured to provide a logical connection from an executing application to one of the automation devices by maintaining at least two contemporaneous physical connections using respective wireless network interfaces and the radio access network. The control network is further configured to repeatedly adapt a physical redundancy of the logical connection. In some embodiments, the control network is configured to determine a level of independence between the physical connections on the basis of measurements, and adapt the redundancy accordingly. The level of independence may be determined by comparing time series of a quality-of-service related quantity.

A method includes receiving first data from multiple wireless field devices at a remote terminal unit. The first data is received using multiple wireless communication protocols. The method also includes executing control logic at the remote terminal unit in order to control at least part of an industrial process. The method further includes communicating second data to the wireless field devices from the remote terminal unit. The second data is transmitted using the multiple wireless communication protocols. In addition, the method includes communicating at the remote terminal unit with a control system, where the remote terminal unit is at least partially controlled by the control system.