How do you think lubrication engineers will be using mobile apps in their jobs 5, 10 or 20 years from now?
TLT Sounding Board August 2012
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It’s an app, app, app, app world. Reportedly Apple has crossed the 300,000-app barrier for the iPhone. The iPad is said to offer more than 60,000 apps with dozens more arriving every day. Today most STLE members are using their mobile apps for non-work-related functions—checking e-mail, accessing the Internet, playing games, catching up on news and sports and listening to music. But if there are apps that can help you collect recipes, plan your wedding, work up to 100 pushups and understand the solar system, how long before they make their way to the universe of lubrication engineering? Following are mobile app ideas TLT readers can see coming in the not-too-distant future. Speaking of which, keep watching—STLE is planning an app to help members navigate the 2013 Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Detroit, Michigan (USA).
You conceivably could take an oil sample, scan it and e-mail the results to the lab. You could have the results in minutes instead of hours.
Mobile phone apps can help select the correct lubricant. These apps already exist.
(1.) Handbooks, browsing handbooks for material/parametric data, standards. (2.) Browsing Scopus/Scholar for scholarly publications. (3.) Saving/viewing/analyzing data during and after experiments (academics, R&D personnel).
To access information on products, blending and equipment.
You could have product-ordering apps, inventory-maintenance apps (with scanner technology) and data-entry apps for condition monitoring.
Who honestly knows? It depends on how soon our companies start getting us the technology. Currently we use these things for e-mail, and that is it.
We’ll use them for document viewing, plant surveys, picture exports, etc.
This is wide open. I think there will be a whole host of smart sensors and machine elements that will be available to be monitored by smartphone/ tablet apps. So engineers will be getting a real-time look at equipment.
I see mobile apps as being more of an instant view of product offerings/ types of greases.
I think there are great opportunities to develop apps for all sorts of lube job functions. Expect younger lubrication engineers to be more likely to adapt using these apps.
In the future we will be working more with apps than ever before.
Imagine if we could scan a product barcode right to the manufacturer and find out price, lead time and place the order—all with the touch of a screen!
Product ordering, price comparison, reviews of products used. Similar to Amazon.com but for the STLE audience.
In the lab I do many manual entry points and am consistently clicking here and there. It has been on my mind to use the iPad and have apps for each test. Click the viscosity application and there is a timer, tube selection and everything gets computed!
Lubrication survey data gathering.
What kind of smartphone do you have?
iPhone
43%
Android
33%
Blackberry
32%
Combination
1%
Based on responses sent to some 13,000 lubrication professionals. Total exceeds 100% because some respondents chose more than one answer.
Technology advances are coming at hyper-speed, which makes it difficult to predict. I suspect apps will be developed to perform functions which we consider lab-only today.
I think apps will become more a part of everyday use. I use my smartphone for calling and catching e-mails missed when my laptop is not accessible. I cannot think of using it as a computer—too small and too much eye strain!
Smartphone apps for spec sheets, reviews, selection.
A conversion tool, periodic table, GPS, etc.
To access lubricant analysis reports, OEM forums for information or troubleshooting tips and discussions.
I think an app could be useful for advising customers and making technical requests.
I’m sure everyone will be using their smartphone or tablet computer in so many ways. Just think about how fast this technology has exploded over the past 10 years. It will only get bigger. I don’t have a tablet computer, but I rely heavily on my laptop computer.
Purchase, supply and test.
I suspect they will be doing things we have not even thought of today.
They’ll be used everywhere.
I think an app will become commonplace as they become more tuned to specific needs.
Diagnostic and lubricant selection.
With QUALCOMM-type links, anything is possible. You could monitor diesel engines while in motion, etc.
In 20 years there will be almost nothing that can’t be done mobile.
Great for data transfer and report writing.
Condition monitoring—to transit data and images of operating equipment to lube vendors and oil analysis labs.
iPhone and/or iPad type devices will give them instant access to the information and functions they need.
What kind of tablet computer do you own?
iPad
86%
Android
11%
Both
3%
Based on responses sent to some 13,000 lubrication professionals.
I think lubrication engineers might be using mobile apps in their jobs five years from now for lubrication selection, condition monitoring, customer service, etc.
You could use the mobile app as a dictionary, using picture patterns to search and investigate damaged parts. Easy access to SDS. Support for maintenance methods and checklists.
View detailed product information.
Lubrication selection, product ordering, product monitoring and customer service.
For data processing, monitoring and HSE.
Getting information via internet, customer service, etc.—and it won’t take five years either.
Customer service and product ordering are already being done with my regular (non-smart) cell phone. Applications I would want to see in the future would be a noise meter and a condition monitoring facility.
it is the way of the future; all pertinent information can be accessible at a moment’s notice for strategic decision making.
They’ll be used for all commercial transactions. Also for technical up-to-date information on lubricants but also on applications. General use for background technical information like viscosity charts, etc.
Apps in the future may be able to allow selection of lubricants, diagnose common lubrication issues and allow users to see what is available in lubricants.
Review specifications, store and trend data.
Oil monitoring, lubrication point history and operating data.
All functions are possible today on mobile devices. However, what I think we’ll see is a merging of mobile devices with our minds such that the connectivity device will become small or embedded.
Quick reference, crossovers, etc.
Quick response (QR) codes might become common on products directing customers to tech data sheets, etc. It’s hard for me to visualize the mobile apps that would be used, but I’m sure they will become much more common.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an e-mail survey of 13,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.