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C h a p t e r 1 | R e a l -T i m e A w a r e n e s s a n d Pe r c e p t i o n operation and status, and enable features like predictive maintenance. For example, if a temperature sensor indicates machine overheating, the sensor can shut down operations before a failure occurs. Achieving real-time environmental awareness requires special equipment like 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensors. ToF sensors consist of a light source, which illuminates a scene, and a receiver, which calculates the amount of time it takes for the light to reflect back to the sensor. With this knowledge, ToF sensors can determine the relative distance of an object and hence help map its environment. Other important sensors include inertial measurement units (IMUs), which allow devices to understand their position and orientation in space. Consisting of a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers, IMUs capture an object's acceleration, angular velocity, and sometimes magnetic field orientation to provide real-time data on its motion and orientation. With real-time awareness and perception, manufacturing lines can dynamically and automatically respond to their surroundings, allowing for more streamlined and efficient processes. ADI helps customers design machines with real-time awareness and perception by • Offering fully certified and qualified sensor modules, allowing customers to reach the market quickly • Offering microcontroller (MCU) solutions to interface with sensors for real-time awareness and perception Improving the ability of systems to detect, understand, and perceive their environment is key to optimizing systems to work efficiently and safely on the factory floor." Shane O'Meara System Applications Manager – Industrial Robotics, Analog Devices, Inc. 7 10 Experts on Flexible Manufacturing