What if your business’s next revolution doesn’t require a large investment in servers, but rather a small box the size of a credit card?
For years, talking about robotics or Internet of Things (IoT) in businesses evoked images of automated factories like Tesla or Amazon. But today, that image is changing. The real revolution is happening in much smaller businesses, with tighter budgets, but with real challenges to solve.
When We Brought Intelligence to the Edge: A Real Case of 80% Improvement
A few years ago we faced a typical operations challenge: industrial sensors sending data to the cloud, unstable field networks, and high costs for centralized processing.
The traditional solution —collecting everything, sending it to AWS and analyzing there— was not only slow, it was also generating disproportionate monthly costs.
The decision was risky at the time: bringing business logic directly to the edge. How? Using devices like Raspberry Pi and Arduino microcontrollers, connected to low-cost sensors and programmed to process and act locally.
The result was surprising:
- We reduced infrastructure costs by more than 80%
- We improved operational continuity, even when there was no network connection
- We increased system response speed by eliminating cloud round-trip latency
What Does IoT Have That Traditional or Cloud-Only Systems Don’t?
Traditional computing assumes you have an office, a PC, good connection, and time.
The cloud adds elasticity and remote access, but still depends on connectivity and bandwidth.
IoT breaks that logic. Its promise is edge autonomy, where things happen:
- In the warehouse, with sensors detecting humidity before ruining the cargo
- On the production floor, where a robotic arm adjusts its movement in real-time without consulting a server
- In the truck on route, predicting failures before breaking down
And all this without depending on the cloud at every step.
Arduino, Raspberry Pi and the Democratization of Robotics
Before, automating meant talking to industrial suppliers, investing thousands of dollars per PLC, and signing closed contracts.
Today, a small business can start with:
- An Arduino Nano for less than $10 USD, to measure temperature or control actuators
- A Raspberry Pi 5, capable of running lightweight AI models, computer vision, or managing multiple sensors
- Open-source libraries and active communities sharing schematics, examples, and solutions
This accessibility has opened the door for any company to prototype, measure, automate, and improve.
From Science Fiction to Reality: What Can Be Done Today?
“I don’t want humanoid robots, I want to stop losing money by not knowing what’s happening in my processes.”
Exactly. This is where useful and achievable robotics comes in. It’s not about replacing humans, but rather:
- Accelerating repetitive tasks with programmable robotic arms
- Detecting anomalies with local artificial vision
- Preventing accidents with intelligent proximity alerts
- Reducing waste by measuring critical variables in real-time
All this is possible with a reasonable investment, and with measurable returns in weeks, not years.
Use Cases We’ve Seen Shine
- Quality Control Laboratory: temperature and humidity sensors monitoring ovens and fermentation → +12% consistent quality
- Distribution Center: automatic counting with computer vision and LIDAR sensors → -30% inventory errors
- Agricultural Company: DIY connected weather stations → better irrigation and harvest prediction
- Manufacturing Workshop: low-cost robotic arm for repetitive assembly tasks → ROI in 4 months
How to Start If You’re Not Technical?
The key is to think about problems, not sensors.
Here’s a simple roadmap for non-technical SMEs:
- Identify bottlenecks in your operation (wasted time, errors, risks)
- Observe physical variables that could be measured: temperature, movement, position, etc.
- Consult with low-cost IoT experts, not large industrial suppliers
- Prototype small, measure results, adjust
- Scale only what generates real impact
Conclusion: Innovation Is Not Just for Giants
Technology is no longer the privilege of large corporations.
With accessible tools, clear thinking, and the right partners, any company can automate what once seemed impossible.
If you believe there’s an opportunity to do more with less in your business, Redstone Labs can help you explore it without commitment.
We’ve been helping companies break technological barriers with elegant, simple, and high-impact solutions for years.
What about you? What is your operation waiting for to evolve?