Unsupervised Learning and Process Analysis for Sensor Data Validation in the IIoT

Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has transformed industrial processes, enhancing productivity, quality control, and operational efficiency. However, ensuring the precision and reliability of sensor-generated data remains a critical challenge due to the evolving nature of industrial processes and the limitations of conventional validation methods. Traditional rule-based and supervised learning approaches struggle to adapt to process shifts, drifts, and novel anomalies, making sensor data validation an ongoing issue. This article introduces UDAVA (Unsupervised Learning Approach using Process Mining for Sensor Data Validation in IIoT), a novel AI-driven pipeline designed to automate the identification of reference patterns in sensor data and validate subsequent production cycles by recognizing deviations from expected behaviors. UDAVA employs a multi-stage process that includes preprocessing sensor data, clustering recurring patterns, and assessing deviations. It supports semi-supervised learning by integrating manual labels where available, improving interpretability and accuracy. One of UDAVA’s key strengths lies in its ability to extract features from sensor data rather than relying on raw time series similarity, making it robust against noise and diverse process variations. Additionally, UDAVA integrates process mining techniques—process discovery and conformance checking—to enhance its ability to detect even subtle anomalies and deviations in industrial workflows. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation of UDAVA using three industrial datasets, demonstrating its effectiveness in identifying high-level process behaviors, detecting process shifts and drifts, and ensuring data validation across multiple production cycles. The results highlight UDAVA ’s adaptability across different industrial processes, making it a valuable tool for optimizing operations and ensuring sensor data reliability in IIoT environments.