What is Digital Twin?

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical product or process that is used to understand and predict the physical counterpart's performance characteristics. Before investing in physical prototypes and assets, digital twins are used to simulate, predict, and optimize the product and production system throughout the product life cycle.

Digital twins can demonstrate the impact of design changes, usage scenarios, environmental conditions, and other infinite variables by incorporating multi-physics simulation, data analytics, and machine learning capabilities, eliminating the need for physical prototypes, reducing development time, and improving the quality of the finalized product or process.

How do you create a digital twin?

Importing conceptual models (via BIM, CAD, or GIS) or scanning physical entities in the real world to visualize and analyze them in conjunction with enterprise and Internet of Things (IoT) data results in the creation of digital twins. Real-time 3D, a computer graphics technology that generates interactive content faster than human perception, can also curate, organize, and present multiple sources of data (both information and models) as lifelike, interactive visualizations.

Digital twins are virtual representations of the physical movements, forces, and interactions that assets can go through. This allows users to interact with three-dimensional dynamic content that responds to their actions in real-time. They can effectively simulate real-world conditions, what-if scenarios, and any other scenario in this virtual environment.

Any scenario imaginable, and instantly visualize the results on any platform, including mobile devices, computers, and augmented, mixed, and virtual reality (AR/MR/VR) devices.

Every digital twin deployment is distinct. Deployments are frequently carried out in stages, with each stage increasing in complexity and business impact. A digital twin can be anything from a 3D model product configurator to a precise representation of a city-sized network or system, with each component dynamically linked to engineering, construction, operational data, and virtual design.

Digital twins inform decision-making at every stage of the lifecycle as teams from various disciplines design, engineer, build, sell, and eventually operate and maintain complex structures.

Benefits of a digital twin

Customers benefit immediately from digital twin deployments in terms of improved data access. Other advantages of a digital twin as it matures include lower maintenance costs, more informed process change decisions with large potential savings, and increased maintenance and operational efficiency. Better designs pay dividends over the life of a project because 80-90% of the costs incurred during the production, use, and maintenance of a facility are determined at the design stage.

Digital twins have improved multi user collaboration and communication in the design industry. Preconstruction clients benefit from seamless data aggregation and trade coordination.

The ability of digital twins to provide safety training, quality assurance, and quality control has significantly reduced accidents and mistakes in the construction industry. When using digital twin initiatives for maintenance, the benefits of operations include optimized operations, reduced downtime, and lower maintenance and personnel costs.

The ability to interact with data in real time is altering how people make design, operation, and maintenance decisions. The ability to visualize and simulate complex operations in real-time 3D has changed the way people interact with their assets, transforming how every physical space and asset on the planet is created, built, and operated.

The Future of Digital Twins

Existing operating models are clearly undergoing fundamental change. In asset-intensive industries, a digital reinvention is taking place that is disrupting operating models and necessitating an integrated physical and digital view of assets, equipment, facilities, and processes. Digital twins are an essential component of that realignment.

Because increasing amounts of cognitive power are constantly devoted to their use, the future of digital twins is nearly limitless. As a result, digital twins are constantly learning new skills and capabilities, allowing them to generate the insights required to improve products and processes.

In this article on transforming asset operations with digital twins, you'll learn how change will affect your industry.