AI and Industry 4.0
A special issue of Future Internet (ISSN 1999-5903). This special issue belongs to the section "Big Data and Augmented Intelligence".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editors
Interests: internet of things; real-time embedded systems; time-sensitive networking; fault-tolerant scheduling
Interests: edge computing; computility network; intelligent networking
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the landscape of industrial systems by embedding intelligence directly into machines, production lines, and control architectures. At the heart of this transformation lies a mutually reinforcing relationship: Industry 4.0 provides multi-modal data and mission-critical application scenarios, while AI technologies enable advanced perception, decision-making, and autonomy. This synergy is embodied in a new generation of smart industrial assets, ranging from collaborative robots and autonomous mobile platforms to adaptive process controllers and intelligent manufacturing cells, which together constitute embodied intelligence systems. These systems not only perform complex operations with human-free intervention but also learn and adapt in real time based on their interactions with the physical and cyber environment. While AI introduces unprecedented results for predictive maintenance, quality control, and closed-loop optimization, the industrial context imposes strict requirements that challenge conventional AI paradigms. AI models should be explainable, resilient to environmental variations, and deployable under constrained hardware resources. In addition, decisions must meet hard real-time constraints, and networked systems must function reliably in dynamic, safety-critical environments.
The goal of this Special Issue is to present the latest research and development efforts addressing the AI and Industry 4.0 problem.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Embodied intelligence for manufacturing and logistics.
- Industrial agent architectures and coordination.
- Multi-modal, uncertainty-aware sensor fusion.
- Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and 5G for deterministic AI pipelines.
- Real-time, deadline-aware inference, and co-scheduling.
- Trustworthy industrial AI (robustness, explainability, verification, and certification).
- Privacy-preserving/federated learning and data governance.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Zhiwei Feng
Prof. Dr. Qiang He
Dr. Bingxian Lu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Future Internet is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Industry 4.0
- embodied intelligence systems
- time-sensitive networking
- industrial agent
- industrial sensor fusion
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
