DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY
D.PARKAVI
I- M.E
CSE
AGENDGA
• Digital twin
Technology
• Three Components
• History
• Types
• Architecture
• Synergy
• Working
• Applications
• Benefits
• Disadvantages
• Conclusion
DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY
Digital twin technology refers to a virtual
representation of a physical object, process,
or system. It employs data from various
sources such as sensors, IoT devices, and
other data streams to create a digital model
that mirrors the real-world counterpart.
Digital twins find applications in various
industries such as manufacturing, healthcare,
transportation, and smart cities.
By analyzing historical and real-time data,
digital twins can predict potential issues or
failures, allowing proactive maintenance and
optimization.
HISTORY
• Early Days: Started with CAD systems for virtual modeling in the
1960s.
• Term Coined: "Digital twin" term introduced in the 2000s by Dr.
Michael Grieves.
• IoT Boom: IoT and sensors in the 2010s enabled real-time data for
accurate digital twins.
• Industry Adoption: Industries embraced digital twins in the 2010s
for efficiency and cost-cutting.
• Future Prospects: Continual evolution expected, impacting various
industries and expanding into new domains.
TYPES
• Component twins (also referred to as part twins): The most basic
level; it's not for simple parts like screws but for things like
mechanical subassemblies.
• Asset twins (product twins): Two or more components whose
interaction is represented in the digital twin.
• System twins (unit twins): Assets assembled into a complete,
functioning unit.
• Process twins: Systems working together to serve a larger goal.
DIGITAL TWIN ARCHITECTURE Hardware:
• IoT Sensors: Collect data from real-world
objects.
• Actuators: Make things happen based on digital
twin insights.
• Network Devices: Connect everything together.
Middleware:
• Central Storage: Stores all the data.
• Connectivity Tools: Keep data flowing smoothly.
• Processing: Analyzes and cleans up the data.
• Visualization: Shows data in an easy-to-
understand way.
Software:
• Analytics: Figures out what the data means.
• Dashboards: Show what's happening in real-
time.
• Design Tools: Help create and model digital
twins.
• Simulation: Tests things out before they happen
in real life.
SYNERGY BETWEEN DIGITAL
TWIN AND IOT
Digital Twins and the Internet of Things
(IoT) together represent a powerful synergy.
Their interplay is a cornerstone of Industry
4.0, fostering innovation in various fields.
WORKING
• Digital twins are constructed by experts in applied mathematics or data science who understand the
physics behind the physical object and then design a mathematical model that mimics it in the digital
world.
• Each twin is designed to receive inputs from sensors that take data from the real-world object to
simulate the object in real-time. The inputs are evaluated against contextual data such as prevailing
market conditions for the best results.
• A digital twin can also serve as a prototype for the physical object, either before the object is built or as a
way to refine later versions of the object. It can be as straightforward, or as complex as the scientist
wants it to be - naturally, the more data used to build a digital twin, the more exact the simulations will
be.
• Digital twins let us understand the present and help predict the future. Analysis of data from IoT-
connected sensors and devices, combined with other sources of information, assists in product and
customer expectations forecasting.
• With the wealth of information, businesses can learn faster and put actionable insights into good use.
They can break down old notions surrounding product innovation, value creation, and complicated life
cycles
AUTOMATIVE
Vehicle Design Simulation
Before a prototype is built, car
models are virtually tested under
various conditions to determine their
viability.
Predictive Maintenance
Manufacturers can use digital twins
to predict when a vehicle part might fail
and suggest proactive maintenance.
HEALTHCARE
Personalized Medication
Create digital replicas of patients to
simulate health scenarios, predict ailments
or the progress of diseases.
Medical Equipment Optimization
Monitor the usage and performance of
medical devices and optimize for the best
results.
Automotive industry: running
Tesla car replicas for remote
diagnostics
Each new car produced by Tesla has its own digital
twin. Sensors embedded in a vehicle constantly stream
data about the environment and performance to the
virtual copy that lives in the cloud. AI algorithms
analyze these feeds to identify whether the car works
as expected. If not, the problems are fixed by sending
over-the-air software updates.
In this way, Tesla adapts the vehicle’s configurations to
different climate conditions, virtually improves its
performance, and provides remote diagnostics,
minimizing the need for visiting service centers. You
can read about other approaches to vehicle
maintenance in a dedicated article.
Digital Twins In Digital Twins In
Construction And Smart Manufacturing
Cities
It can support the following
City data from sensors and intelligent manufacturing efforts:
networks can help policymakers, and
architectural planners see what is working • Identify flaws before production
and make decisions accordingly. commences
• Undergo stress tests to improve
It helps optimize public infrastructure, performance
reduce the ecological footprint and offer • Reduce throughput times
citizens a better quality of life.
With digital twins, it is also possible to
design various permutations of the
product in question.
RETAIL
Digital twins can improve the shopping
experience for customers by virtually
modeling different fashions, decor
items, product uses, and so on.
They can also help optimize store
layouts, energy usage, security features,
and more - assisting retailers in
delivering a more real-life-like
experience to customers.
Digital Twins In Product
Packaging
This process can be virtualized and
tested for errors before being packaged.
Digital twins help logistics companies
determine materialistic feasibility
BENEFITS
• Enhanced Monitoring: Real-time insights into asset performance
and behavior.
• Predictive Maintenance: Anticipate and prevent equipment failures,
reducing downtime.
• Efficient Operations: Optimize processes for improved efficiency and
productivity.
• Remote Management: Monitor and control assets remotely, reducing
the need for on-site presence.
• Improved Decision-making: Data-driven insights enable informed
and timely decision-making.
• Innovation Acceleration: Test and simulate new ideas and scenarios
quickly and cost-effectively
• Sustainable Practices: Identify opportunities for energy
conservation and waste reduction, promoting sustainability efforts.
DISADVANTAGES
• Costly and Complex: Building and maintaining digital twins can be expensive and
challenging.
• Security Risks: Using sensitive data in digital twins raises privacy and security
concerns.
• Integration Problems: Combining data from different sources can be difficult.
• Dependent on Good Data: Digital twins need accurate and up-to-date data to be
effective.
• Scalability Issues: Making digital twins work for large systems or many assets
can be tough.
CONCLUSION
• Digital twins expanding to diverse entities, including body parts, people,
smart cities, and supply chains.
• Decreasing cost of digital twin technology leading to wider adoption across
industries
• Anticipated growth in the digital twin market, projected to reach $90 billion
by 2032 with a 25% annual growth rate.
• Advancements expected, such as cognitive digital twins with AI capabilities,
enhancing real-world entities.
• Ongoing development of database schemas to unify data sources and improve
digital twins for AI training.
• Envisioned future where intelligent digital twins are ubiquitous, from
household items to global environments.
