Remote monitoring and control (M&C) systems are designed to control large or complex facilities such as factories, power plants, network operations centers, airports, and spacecraft, with some degree of automation.
M&C systems may receive data from sensors, telemetry streams, user inputs, and pre-programmed procedures. The software may send telecommands to actuators, computer systems, or other devices.
M&C systems may perform closed-loop control.
Once limited to SCADA in industrial settings, remote monitoring and control is now applied in numerous fields, including:
- Smart grids
- Positive train control
- Structural health monitoring
- Pipeline sensors
- Patient monitoring
- Desktop/server monitoring
While this field overlaps with machine to machine communications, the two are not completely identical.