Empowering autonomous mobility with HMI-X: IDEC and ez-Wheel’s integrated approach (part 1)

Change is inevitable, and it never stops. People and businesses continue to move with the times, and with new trends and technologies.

More than simply aiming to ‘change’ or to do things differently, many companies are pursuing ‘transformation’. Business transformation is ambitious – it involves creating new processes, redefining company culture, and improving the customer experience.

You may be familiar with ‘digital transformation’, commonly known as DX. It generally refers to using digital technologies to rethink business processes and drive value creation.

IDEC and ez-Wheel are taking a groundbreaking approach to business transformation with the HMI-X concept. We intend to reimagine human-machine interfaces (HMIs) in the age of Industry 4.0 and beyond.

In this article:

• What is HMI-X?

• Flexible and dynamic thinking that drives innovations

• The transformation > solution > transformation cycle for industrial safety

As a leader in HMIs, IDEC has grown globally – and continually works to achieve consistently high levels of safety and contribute to society.

HMI-X means more than simply innovating in the HMI segment. HMIs are just one aspect of comprehensive solutions that incorporate hardware and software. We're driving new initiatives in key fields, including automation and driverless industrial trucks and their systems (AGVs and AMRs).

These efforts have resulted in several new product launches, including:

• The KW2D smart RFID reader: custom authorization and high security, to help customers manage equipment access and work logs.

• The HT3P and HT4P Safety Commander tablet holders: forward-thinking design that includes a 3-position enabling switch and emergency stop switch.

• The CW series of touchless switches: designed for convenience, accessibility, and hygiene, with built-in sensors and indicator lights.

• The HG1J and HG2J operator interfaces: touchscreen display panels with high clarity and environmental durability.

These user interfaces and the ways they interact with HMIs are equally important. For example, demand for contactless devices and remote monitoring with HMIs rapidly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Each new IDEC product represents a technological advancement – and they’re even more effective when used together.

By providing products and services that combine safety and HMIs, IDEC will drive HMI-X and contribute to achieving well-being for our diverse stakeholders.

The aim of IDEC’s HMI-X concept is to combine the control element of HMIs with:

• Increased safety and well-being

• Automation

• Dedicated hardware and software

• IoT (IIoT) connectivity

The products, services, and solutions we develop through HMI-X will together create environments where humans and machines can safely coexist.

The IDEC products introduced in this article – the KW2D, HT3P and HT4P, CW series, and the HG series – are all available globally. Contact us directly for more details, follow us on social media, or subscribe to our mailing list.

In part 2 of this series, we’ll introduce another highly innovative IDEC product that embodies our HMI-X approach.