Mechanics 4.0: Artificial Intelligence for the Analysis of Mechanical Systems

The digitization of industry in the context of “Industry 4.0” comprises four pillars: networking, information transparency, decentralized decision-making, and technical assistance (Hermann et al. 2016). In particular, the ability to make decisions decentrally—based on relevant information—and the provision of informed digital assistance systems require methods for analyzing physical systems. The analysis of physical systems in industry is a classical application area of mechanics and requires accurate measurements, descriptions, and interpretations of the states of mechanical systems. A recent survey underscores the need for necessary engineering skills, particularly technical mechanics when working on Industry 4.0 projects (Heidling et al. 2019).