Today buzzwords like “smart machine” and “intelligent component” dominate the discussion about digitalization in the fluid power domain. However, the engineering fundamentals behind the words “smart” and “intelligent” often remain unclear. A common and target-oriented discussion needs transparent approaches including the applied technical system understanding. Therefore, t his paper presents new concepts of soft sensor networks which allow the aggregation of information about fluid systems from heterogeneous sources. Soft sensors presented in this paper are physical models of system components that ensure transparency. Soft sensors and soft sensor networks are applied on exemplary hydraulic systems on three different levels: (i) the sensor level, (ii) the component level and (iii) the system level.

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