Cheeky headlines get clicks, but in all honesty, Amazon Monitron is a set of hardware devices (Sensors/Gateway), coupled with a cloud machine learning (ML) service. Hence my comparison of Monitron to the Amazon (Echo + Alexa).
Specifically, Amazon Monitron is an end-to-end system that detects abnormal behavior in industrial machinery. Today the Monitron solution is comprised of hardware sensors for your assets, Machine Learning for anomaly detection, and a mobile application to monitor your assets. The key differentiator in my mind is the combination of low price for Industrial Sensors ($115 per sensor), out of the box anomaly detection, and usability with a simple mobile app.
If you’re in the Industrial sector, you know the importance of monitoring your assets to minimize downtime, maximize performance and maintenance quality to maximize OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). A fundamental way to address this has been Industrial IoT to predict failures before they happen and performing maintenance during a scheduled window.
I hear Machine Learning mentioned in every solution description these days, what makes this different?
In my opinion, the key differentiator here is the anomaly model managed by AWS coupled with the low-cost hardware. Still, the application allows the engineers to give feedback via the application that improves their specific assets and environments. I’ve found many of the “Machine Learning” marketing is a one-size-fits-all that can’t incorporate customer feedback into the model for on-going improvement.
Use cases
Here are some categories of equipment that are a good fit per the Monitron website.
From left to right (Motors, Gearboxes, Pumps, Fans, Bearings, Compressors)
Still fuzzy?
Try watching this video on how Amazon use Monitron on our conveyance systems that transport packages through the Fulfillment Centers’ facility.
Pricing
You can see detailed pricing for the sensors, the gateway, and the service with some examples here, but here the highlights.
- Amazon Monitron Gateway – $140.00
- Amazon Monitoron 5-pack sensor – $575.00 ($115.00 per device)
- Amazon Monitron service is $4.17/sensor/month ($50.00 per sensor per year)
So how do you get started?
Step 1 – Order your equipment
Step 2 – Create an AWS account and create a Monitron project.
Step 3 – Reach out to your AWS account team for best practices or find out who they are here
What’s next?
As part of my 2021 goal, I’ll be posting articles each week on Machine Learning and applied AI solutions and how they can be applied or implemented to address a real business pain point. If you are interested in ML & AI solutions, please try following me!
Although I work for Amazon Web Services (AWS), my opinions are my own. As with everything in life, your mileage may vary.