1784
Mechanisation
Introduced mechanization of production by using water and steam to increase production capacity and productivity, versus manual craft work.
1870
Electrification
Introduced labour-based mass production (assembly lines) powered by electrical energy.
1969
Automatisation
Introduced electronics and computers to replace manual work with standalone robotic systems.
Today
Cyber-Physical Systems
The convergence of physical, digital, and virtual environments through Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT).