NASA first used the phrase "Digital Twins" in the 1960s when it created systems on Earth that were exact replicas of those discovered in space.
However, the phrase "Digital Twins" was not fully developed until recent developments in modern technology, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices to collect enormous volumes of data.
The market for digital twins will be worth 183 billion dollars by 2031, according to a Gartner prediction.
The top technological businesses in the world are now seen to be working to advance and use the technology of digital twins.
But what is it exactly? Furthermore, what does a digital twin actually do? To find out the answers to these questions, keep reading the article.
What Is Digital Twin
According to Paulo Miyagi, a senior fellow at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE);
an exact digital replica of an object or system existing in the physical world that is constantly updated with real-time data to inform decision making
We refer to this as a "digital twin," which is a precise digital replica of a physical object or system that is updated continuously with real-time information to guide decision-making.
The system or object in question is outfitted with numerous IoT devices that serve as sensors to produce performance-related data in order to accomplish this. Consider a wind turbine as an illustration, which uses sensors to collect information for a variety of uses, including tracking temperature, weather, and energy production sources.
A digital twin can be used to run simulations after this data has been collected in order to better identify performance issues and gain insightful knowledge. This can then be used again on an analogue system or object.
"Digital twins provide a mechanism to ask different questions about any system or item," claims IEEE member Richmond. Digital twin technologies allow us to get insight into things and systems in novel ways by combining visualisation, simulation, and Internet of Things technology.
Why Are Digital Twins So Important
Digital Twins are the most effective digital transformation innovations for bridging the information gap between the real and virtual worlds. They enable firms to recognize and adopt the innovations required to expand more quickly.
Digital twin technologies have the potential to boost sales by 10% while enhancing product quality by 25%. Senior IEEE member Gulhane outlined three areas where digital twin technology is having a significant influence.
- Manufacturing Digital twins, which are a key element of Industry 4.0 and have been influenced by top manufacturers, contribute to enable continuous production process optimization throughout the product lifecycle. Digital twins are employed, in particular, in industries to increase output, preventative maintenance, worker safety, and other factors.
- Transportation Researchers and developers can more effectively comprehend, build, and manage the infrastructure necessary to move people and products from any point A to any point B with the aid of digital simulations of complicated transportation systems. Major airports all across the world, for instance, have begun integrating digital twin technologies into their daily operations. For maximum operational effectiveness, everything from traffic management to cargo handling may be optimised.
- Life Sciences Manufacturing planners have used the digital twin to model industrial processes, supply networks, and logistics in order to increase production speed and efficiency as researchers race to discover a safe and effective vaccine to combat the coronavirus.
Due to the significance of being able to comprehend physical systems and objects better without having to do expensive analysis, digital twin technologies are poised to grow.
What Does The Future Holds For Digital Twins Technology
Roberto Saracco, an IEEE Senior Member, thinks that digital twin technology would be very beneficial in resolving some of the most urgent issues that our world is currently facing. And that in this sense, it will be quickly utilized in the future.
According to Saracco, "the issues that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left for global supply will have to be addressed if we are to avoid disruptions in the future."
Gulhane thinks that the potential of digital twin technology is almost limitless. In his words;
"Utilizing digital twins requires greater cognitive processing power. Future developments in other developing technologies, new products, and processes required to make existing products and processes more efficient are also expected to improve digital twin technologies." It will produce new insights.
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