# Industry 4.0 > The connected, data-driven automation of production: networked machines, sensors and remote control. Also known as: smart factory. Category: E-commerce and workflow. Industry 4.0 describes the digital transformation of manufacturing: networked machines that exchange data with company systems, sensors and monitoring, remote diagnosis, advanced automation and digitised, paperless processes. The term originated in German industrial policy in the early 2010s. ## How PhotoRobot uses it In a 2024 declaration, PhotoRobot describes its systems as Industry 4.0 ready, citing remote diagnosis and control, network connectivity with API, sensors reporting machine state, storable automated sequences, paperless workflow management, safety stops and predictive maintenance data such as internal temperatures and operation counts. ## See on photorobot.com - [Industry 4.0 readiness](https://www.photorobot.com/manuals/industry-4-0-readiness) ## Related terms - [Control unit](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/control-unit): The computer inside or beside every PhotoRobot that drives its motors, triggers cameras and connects it to the network. - [API (application programming interface)](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/api): A defined interface through which one piece of software can use the functions or data of another. - [Production line](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/production-line): Several connected workstations that process products in stages, like an assembly line for images. ## Where this term appears on photorobot.com Mentioned on 1 page. Most relevant: - [Improtech PhotoRobot - Industry 4.0 Readiness](https://www.photorobot.com/manuals/industry-4-0-readiness): As of this 2024 declaration, PhotoRobot describes its Industry 4.0 readiness, compatibility, compliance, and operational efficiency.