Here’s a chance to learn the latest views on emerging manufacturing technology from the leaders at the future-edge of the smart manufacturing revolution. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, Pacific Design & Manufacturing will feature a full day of sessions covering the challenges of new manufacturing technology, from robotics and intelligent sensors to the dangers of hacking and new advances in cyber security.

The full day of sessions runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The morning discussions will be chaired by Maryanna Saenko, research analyst at Lux Research. The opening program at 10 a.m. covers, “Man’s New Best Friend: The Future of Collaborative Robotics & Automated Intelligence,” presented by Carl Palme, applications product manager at Rethink Robotics, the home of the human-friendly robot Baxter. Palme will explore the rising tide of consumer-driven customization in manufacturing that requires a new breed of flexible automation –- one in which robots move quickly and easily between tasks in order to address the rapidly changing needs of factory workflows. Palme will cover the current state of collaborative robotics, the technologies enabling them, and how they will play an important role in Industry 4.0.

[Visit Rethink Robotics at Booth 4147 at Pacific Design & Manufacturing, Feb. 9-11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.]

At 10:30 a.m., Saenko will present “The Next Generation of Intelligent Sensors for Better Visualization.” The program will look at leveraging intelligent sensors for preventative maintenance and real-time monitoring. She will look at what’s next for visualization sensors that can inspect parts in manufacturing lines and troubleshoot problems automatically. Saenko will also offer an overview of networking standards for sensors.

The 11 a.m. session will present the case study, “Developments in Software Technology for Virtual Production System Design,” by Aaron Frankel, director of marketing at Siemens PLM Software. Frankel will offer real-life examples of how software is being used for plant design and what we can expect to see from software in the future. Highlights include how virtual plant design can become a dependable validation process, and how to manage software technology related to industrial IoT. He will also look at CAD-based innovations that aid engineers and architects to save on build-out costs and reduce planning time.

After lunch, chairing duties go to me, Rob Spiegel, Design News' automation and control editor. At 1 p.m. attendees will see a live demonstration called, “Crash Course: Hardware Hacking & Preventing Future Vulnerability,” presented by Josh Thomas and Shawn Moyer, the founders of Atredis Partners. Thomas and Moyer will show how hacking embedded systems is sometimes quite complex, while other times it can be astonishingly simple. They will walk through some typical scenarios in hardware exploitation and help attendees understand how hardware hackers, reverse engineers, and hobbyists alike approach hacking both consumer-grade and industrial embedded devices of any type.

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At 1:25 p.m. Thomas and Moyer will shift to looking at protection against hacking during the session, “Ramping Up Cyber Security for Embedded Devices & Industrial IoT.” They will discuss why security is required at every layer in the network and they’ll dig deep into vulnerability analysis for industrial IoT. Thomas and Moyer will also look at ways to secure devices by complying with security standards.

A panel session called, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Establishing a Secure Networking Infrastructure,” will begin at 1:50 p.m. Panelists will discuss cyber attacks on industrial automation systems -- real-life examples and why your network is no exception to vulnerability. These experts will also look at cyber security assessment for your factory and the proper security measures needed to protect a connected plant. Panelists include John Bambenek, senior threat researcher at Fidelis Cybersecurity; Vishal Gupta, chief products and IoT officer at Silent Circle; Ernie Rudolph, EVP at ICON Lab; and Nancy Cam-Winget, distinguished engineer at Cisco Systems.

Next up is “Harmonizing Standards & Protocols for Efficient Machine-to-Machine Communication” at 2:45 p.m. Aurelio Banda, CEO and president of Beckhoff Automation willexplore current standards and protocols in the industry, offering the pros and cons. His presentation poses the question: How can you standardize communication between equipment, controls, and cloud-based systems? The answer will come in part from the advances being made to achieve interoperability for all systems.

[Visit Beckhoff Automation at Booth 4538 at Pacific Design & Manufacturing, Feb. 9-11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.]

The final presentation at 3:15 p.m. will be the panel session, “Making Sense of Big Data: Determining Actionable Data & Your Roadmap for Utilization.” Panelists will discuss strategies to improve Big Data analytics for efficient accessibility and utilization. The goal is to understand data centers that store all your data and learning how to secure them against cyber attacks. Banda from Beckhoff will lead the panelists that include John Cupit, director, IT and data center solutions at Huawei Technologies; Sean Thorne, director of business intelligence, Big Data, at T-Mobile, and Bill Boswell, senior director of cloud services marketing at Siemens PLM.

Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 15 years, 12 of them for Design News. Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years he was owner and publisher of the food magazine Chile Pepper.