Asset Condition Monitoring System : Using IoT and Embedded Technologies

Abstract: Global logistics market is expected to reach US$15.5 trillion by 2023 but many companies loss billions of dollars because of improper handling, theft and tracking problems. Especially when high value goods are transported there is a need to monitor their condition because they can be affected by the environmental changes that might be harmful or due to any dangerous mechanical conditions during transportation. Real time condition monitoring applications serve the purpose of providing alerts, analytics and reports of these harmful or dangerous conditions to ensure that goods are transported without any damage or with minimal damage. This thesis considers how to combine software and hardware solution to monitor different conditions and report during transportation. This report focusses on designing and testing the device for real time condition monitoring of consumer goods package during transportation. The proposed device, called Asset Condition Monitoring System, uses FTP protocol to transfer the GPS information along with monitored information through different sensors as an event over a GSM network to a server. The design can be adapted to any type of product. The prototype developed is equipped with different sensors that assess the environmental conditions along with some of mechanical aspects of the package throughout the transit.  The device is tested in a real time environment and provides information on the possible events that might compromise the integrity of the package. The system enables the customer to assess the quality of the package. The design is based on agile method in a user driven framework. The thesis design, model and tests the condition monitoring system according to the requirements and constraints, which can be different to different assets while considering packaging and mode of transportation. For this project, Seagate Hard Drives are considered as an asset to monitor.