IOT Digital Twins, w00t!

The Digital Twin concept represents software construct of the physical and the virtual world where every industrial product (physical assets, products and constructions) gets a dynamic digital representation.

How do Digital Twins work?

Digital Twins are brought to life by using sensors. In fact they can be created even before an asset is built physically. To create a digital twin of any physical object, physical data, manufacturing data, operational data is collected from various sources. All this information along with AI algorithms is integrated into a virtual model. This valuable data is consistently being fed into the Digital Twin from the sensors attached to the physical equipment in order to optimize the outcome. This learning system learns continuously and from multiple sources. It includes all the information related to the physical object, operating conditions from similar machines, from experts, from engineers, from analysts, from historical data, from larger systems, from places where similar technology or model is used. Digital Twins integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning and software analytics with data to create living digital simulation models that update and change as their physical counterparts change. Thus the digital twin acts as a live model of the physical objects without having close proximity to them. This helps business to predict production, efficiency, challenges related to that physical object well ahead of time.

Digital Twins and the Industry

If companies are looking to stay ahead of their competitors one needs to consider the execution of digital twins. Digital Twins help manufacturers and engineers understand how physical objects are performing or will in future, visualizing products in use, building a digital thread, product usage, customer behaviour, connecting dissimilar systems, refining assumptions, troubleshooting and so on. This empowers businesses to learn, innovate, evolve, test and monitor better. With decreasing costs in Internet of Things technologies and sensors, cost for Digital Twins have also decreased making this technology within your means.

Applications:

1. Digital Twins are changing the current face of manufacturing sector. Digital Twins have a significant impact on product designing, manufacturing, deliverability and, ultimately, customer satisfaction with the company. Examples of industry applications include aircraft engines, wind turbines, spacecrafts, offshore platforms, offshore vessels, HVAC control systems, buildings.
2. Digital Twins can be used in the automobile sector for creating the digital model of a connected smart vehicle. It analyzes the performance of vehicle while on road and through its connected nature it can share valuable predictive information with the manufacturer.
3. Digital Twins have revolutionized hospital operations. They have helped in patient monitoring, preventative maintenance, decrease mortality rates, improve outcomes and providing personalized health care to patients.
4. Another example of digital twins is the use of 3D modelling to create digital companions for the physical objects.
5. Digital Twins are helping in retail sector by creating virtual twins for customers, better in store planning, security implementation and energy management.
6. The Digital Twin model is helping policymakers in the smart city planning enhancing economic development, efficient management of resources to increase overall quality of life for people.
7. Digital Twins are creating industries of future. They help in predicting future of an industrial operation and help in detecting anomalies in business operations.