i.safe will debut the new panel at APIDEC 2025, November 3-6
i.safe Mobile has introduced the Mobile Operator Panel, a system that embeds contextual process automation directly into field operators' hands to help end the disconnection between centralised control rooms and field-level reality
Where operators have previously relied on static procedures whilst vital decisions lag behind real-time conditions, the Mobile Operator Panel can provide intelligent orchestration at the right moment. The system can transform how industries achieve safety, efficiency, and operational excellence in environments where these factors are non-negotiable.
Breaking tradition
The Mobile Operator Panel can understand the operator's location, active permits, surrounding equipment, and current conditions, and can coordinate workflows dynamically. The panel can turn passive information displays into active decision surfaces, amplifying human expertise rather than relaying data, and represents the shift from Industry 4.0 connectivity to Industry X.0 collaboration.
Machines can do more than connect to networks; they can understand operational situations and respond in ways that account for technical constraints and human judgment. The Mobile Operator Panel enables adaptive operations in which automation serves human decision-making instead of replacing it.
Martin Haaf, CEO at i.safe Mobile, said, "For too long, industrial automation has forced field teams to adapt to rigid systems designed for control rooms. The Mobile Operator Panel inverts this logic entirely. We deliver intelligence directly to the field. Operators gain situational awareness and structured decision support at the moment they need it most, not minutes or hours later. This is human expertise amplified by smart automation, and it changes everything about how work is done in Ex-zones."
Due to centralised decision-making hierarchies, legacy systems can create bottlenecks, forcing operators to wait for approvals, confirmations, and releases that are delayed by site conditions. The Mobile Operator Panel prevents these friction losses by providing information which responds to current plant conditions, approval status and operating parameters on the spot. This leads to improved operational transparency while the system complies with the necessary safety standards in ATEX and IECEx-certified environments.
Built for harsh environments
The panel consists of specially developed ATEX- and IECEx-certified components for potentially explosive atmospheres in Zones 1/21 and 2/22.
The first of these is the Android tablet (IS940.x) or the Windows tablet (IS945.x), which offers a safe mobile platform with on-device AI interference capabilities. These devices provide contextual process automation through interfaces built for potentially explosive environments. The other component is the IS-CS1A.1 Connectivity System delivers secure synchronisation, powering and integration infrastructure that connects field operations to enterprise systems without compromising safety certification.
Sovereign AI processing via high-performance inference engines, including QNN, ONNX Runtime, and TensorFlow Lite, provides real-time decision support without cloud dependency. This is vital in hazardous environments where operations cannot rely on connectivity that could fail under the most demanding conditions. The Mobile Operator Panel can process information locally, retain data ownership, and continue functioning when external networks are unavailable.
Measurable intelligence
The Mobile Operator Panel provides quantifiable operational improvements across safety, efficiency, and decision quality. Smart automation processes sensor data, video feeds, and operational information through AI-driven analysis.
The system can supply guidance precisely when conditions change, preventing decision latency and enabling adaptive responses that exceed static procedures.
Continuous monitoring can detect anomalies, compliance deviations, and equipment degradation patterns that could be missed by human observation. The system can set off an immediate alert and activate preventive workflows before an incident occurs, shifting safety management from reactive response to proactive prevention.
The multi-system integration enables a unified operational surface. Native connectivity across legacy control systems via RDP and VNC, process automation via OPC-UA and MQTT, business systems using HTTPS, JSON, and XML, and AI overlays that eliminate information silos without replacing infrastructure.
Human-in-the-loop governance ensures transparent AI logic, allowing operators to maintain decisive oversight, with each automated action being explainable, accountable, and subject to human validation. Edge-native resilience removes cloud dependencies, and local AI processing ensures consistent performance in remote Ex-zones, while the architecture retains complete data sovereignty.
Field-proven applications
Structured maintenance and inspection workflows increase uptime and safety by providing guidance at every step, with intelligent, contextual automation that turns procedures into live guidance for operators. Adapting steps to real-world conditions and providing instant insights from mobile panels ensures consistency, safety, and efficiency.
SIMOPS overlap with industrial tasks that can create hazards if not well coordinated. Risks are decreased by identifying hazards early with a dedicated coordinator and clear communication.
Permit-to-Work (PTW) management simplifies hazardous work authorisation, enhancing safety and compliance. PTW is automated with contextual process automation that can accelerate permit approvals, ensure safety checks, and adapt requirements to current conditions.
A shift handover transfers operational and safety information between teams to ensure continuity. Mobile operator panels standardise this process, allowing real-time digital input, secure records, and AI-supported clarity for safer operations.
Jan Rieks Zonderman, product manager automation at i.safe Mobile, said, "We witness the emergence of Contextual Process Automation as a new category in industrial technology. This convergence of intrinsically safe hardware, sovereign AI processing, and human-centric design creates interfaces that respond dynamically to field realities. For industries that operate in Ex-zones, this shift from centralised control to contextual orchestration fundamentally reimagines how work happens. The question is no longer whether to automate. The question now is where intelligence is located and how it serves human expertise."
ADIPEC 2025
i.safe Mobile plans to introduce the Mobile Operator Panel at APIDEC in Abu Dhabi from November 3-6, 2025, in hall 15, booth 15118.
