Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): Smart Sensors, Industrial Connectivity, Edge Computing, Cloud Platforms, and Connected Manufacturing (Mechatronics, Robotics & Industrial Automation)

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) represents one of the most consequential technological shifts in the history of manufacturing and process industries. What began as an extension of consumer Internet of Things (IoT) concepts into factories has matured into a distinct engineering discipline with its own architectures, protocols, security models, and economic logic. Today, IIoT underpins predictive maintenance programs that save millions of dollars in unplanned downtime, enables digital twins that shorten product development cycles, and forms the connective backbone of what is popularly termed Industry 4.0.
This book, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): Smart Sensors, Industrial Connectivity, Edge Computing, Cloud Platforms, and Connected Manufacturing, was written to provide a single, comprehensive, classroom-ready resource that takes the reader from the physics of a sensing element to the architecture of an enterprise-scale cloud analytics platform. It is intended for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students of electronics, instrumentation, mechanical, industrial, and computer engineering; for practicing engineers transitioning into smart manufacturing roles; and for managers and technology strategists who need a rigorous but accessible grounding in the subject.
The book is organised to mirror the natural flow of information in an industrial system: from the physical world sensed by smart sensors and actuators (Chapters 3), through industrial communication networks and protocols (Chapter 4), across edge computing infrastructure (Chapter 5), into cloud platforms and analytics (Chapters 6 and 7), and finally into the organisational context of connected manufacturing, digital twins, standards, real-world case studies, and future trends (Chapters 9 through 13), followed by practical guidance on planning IIoT projects (Chapter 14) and a hands-on prototyping guide (Chapter 15). Security is treated as a cross-cutting concern but is given its own dedicated chapter (Chapter 8) because of its central importance to safe and reliable operation.
Every chapter includes learning objectives, worked explanations, original diagrams drawn specifically for this text, comparison tables, chapter summaries, and review questions designed to reinforce both conceptual understanding and practical application. Wherever industry standards (such as those from IEC, ISA, IEEE, and OPC Foundation) are referenced, the author has taken care to describe them at a level of technical accuracy appropriate for an academic textbook, while directing readers to the primary standards documents for implementation-grade detail.
No single book can capture every proprietary platform feature or every emerging protocol in a field that evolves as quickly as IIoT. The intent here is instead to equip the reader with durable conceptual foundations, a working technical vocabulary, and the analytical tools needed to evaluate new tools, platforms, and standards as they emerge. The author has drawn on established engineering principles, publicly documented industrial standards, and widely recognised reference architectures (such as the RAMI 4.0 model, the Industrial Internet Reference Architecture, and the ISA-95 automation pyramid) to ensure the material remains both rigorous and current.
I would like to thank the students, colleagues, and industry practitioners whose questions and feedback have shaped the pedagogical approach of this book. It is my sincere hope that this text serves as both a rigorous academic resource and a practical field guide for anyone seeking to understand, design, or manage the connected industrial systems that are reshaping global manufacturing.