Integrated intelligent instruments for

LIEBMAN ET AL, Integrated Intelligent Instruments for Materials Science 13... 

In general, it appears that expert systems which combine symbolic/numeric processing capabilities are necessary to effectively automate decision-making in applications involving analytical and process instrumentation/sensors. Furthermore, these integrated decision structures will likely be embedded (67-69) within the analytical or process units to provide fully automated pattern recognition/correlation systems for future intelligent instrumentation. 

Implementing this level of automation intelligence has been the most difficult to realize within manufacturing industries. That is, while automation controls integration of simple univariate instruments (e.g., a hlter photometer) is seamless, it is much more problematic for multivariate or spectral instruments. This is due to the tower of babble problem with various process spectroscopic instraments across process instrument manufactures. That is, the communications protocols, wavelength units and hie formats are far from standardized across spectral instruments, even within a particular class of techniques such as vibrational spectroscopy. Several information technology (IT) and automation companies have recently attempted to develop commercialized solutions to address this complex problem, but the effectiveness of these solutions has yet to be determined and reported. 

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