This week's EYE ON NPI is Perfect and Looking Cool - We're checking out the Arduino Opta line of programmable PLCs (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/a/arduino/opta-expansions).
PLC stands for "programmable logic controller" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmable_logic_controller) and these devices are used in manufacturing and robotics to automate sensor inputs and robotic control outputs in factories. Because of dependable PLC performance, your food, clothing, medicine and water are affordable and high quality, with repeatable results.
Manufacturing engineers have used PLCs since the 80's, and they've been essential for the 3rd Industrial Revolution (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Age). If in the second industrial revolution moved us from individually-manufactured handmade goods (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handicraft) to assembly-line repeatability (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_line), then the information age and PLCs took us from the back-br