John Rezabek's Column in Control: Smart Pipe?

John Rezabek of Ashland Chemical, who also happens to be chairman of our End User Advisory Council, has a monthly column in Control Magazine.  This month he ruminates on the existence of "Smart Pipes", which have built in sensor capabilities.  Could they change the way we use automation technology in a significant way?  

From the article:

"What if the pipe and vessels that contain your physical process were embedded with sensors for flow, pressure, temperature and composition? No more vessel penetrations for thermowells or process taps for DP cells. No more worries about plugging impulse lines or zero shifts. Distillation column temperature profiles would be continuous and automatic."

It seems like an interesting proposition, but what would this mean for all the automation equipment (and networks) that we sell today?

Control Global: Smart Pipe -- One Bus to Rule Them All