“We were able to make the device completely inoperable by preventing a local operator from controlling the drill through the onboard display and disabling the trigger button."
That’s the neat part, there isn’t. There is, however, significant incentive to the tool’s manufacturer. Who can, I’m sure, not only demand a subscription for continued use of the tools but also employ lucrative maintenance contracts and other sundry corporate nonsense. I can tell you from a brief stint in the industrial automation industry that the sale of the equipment is not the money maker; it’s the ongoing service contract on it.
If these are meant to be used by hand I see no reason they can’t just be configured on the tool itself and not need an internet connection. And if the point is plantwide automation, these sit directly in the bottom of the ugly trench between tasks that must be done by a human for whatever reason on one side, and just being done by a damn robot to begin with on the other.
And a further clarification: Even if there is a use case for a hand tool being networked, having it connected to the outside internet is just bonkers.
That’s the neat part, there isn’t. There is, however, significant incentive to the tool’s manufacturer. Who can, I’m sure, not only demand a subscription for continued use of the tools but also employ lucrative maintenance contracts and other sundry corporate nonsense. I can tell you from a brief stint in the industrial automation industry that the sale of the equipment is not the money maker; it’s the ongoing service contract on it.
If these are meant to be used by hand I see no reason they can’t just be configured on the tool itself and not need an internet connection. And if the point is plantwide automation, these sit directly in the bottom of the ugly trench between tasks that must be done by a human for whatever reason on one side, and just being done by a damn robot to begin with on the other.
And a further clarification: Even if there is a use case for a hand tool being networked, having it connected to the outside internet is just bonkers.