The Internet of Things is evolving to new levels each day as it is emerging into various industries armed with AI and Data Analytics at its helm. The technology also contains the ability to produce data, providing a digital equivalent of the said data to optimize for peak efficiency and backup scenarios with intricate complexity.
In the same vein, Digital Twin technology has moved beyond manufacturing industries’ borders and forayed into new fields.
But what is a Digital Twin?
A Digital Twin is a virtual representation of real-world entities, objects, or an ecosystem and produces outputs of how those physical objects will be affected in the real world. The concept first emerged at NASA for full-scale mockups of early space capsules that mirror and diagnose problems in orbit in the 1960s and for Apollo missions.
Now the technology is showing promising dynamic growth excerpted according to a report from ResearchandMarkets.com that the global digital twin market size, which was $3.21 billion in 2020, will likely reach $184.5 billion by 2030, a 50% CAGR between 2020 and 2030.
Across multiple markets, the digital twin technology’s versatility is gaining appreciation and is on its way to becoming a key component in the Industry 4.0 revolution.
So, How does Digital Twin work?
To create a digital twin, a record of the base information containing the object and its performance is recorded using access sensors that serve as input from the real-world counterpart. Now the twin can simulate the physical object in real-time, offering insights into performance and potential problems. The digital twin can also provide feedback and serve as a prototype before the physical version is built. This can help businesses to reduce risk by supporting and charting productivity and continuity in real-world conditions.
Digital Twin – How is it different from Simulation?
Simulation and digital twin are often used in lieu of each other but it means different things. A simulation is designed with a CAD system or a similar platform with an analog system that mimics the actual physical object in a stationary form—customarily used during the design phase of a product’s lifecycle to forecast how the said product would work.
In contrast, a digital twin is built from IoT sensors which take on input from real physical object or equipment and replicates it providing real-time business insight, pinpointing challenges or barriers to evaluating potential costs, and mitigating risks on how the system works now for a significant time.
There are several types of digital twins based on the complexity of what could be twinned.
- Component Twins that can simulate the smallest product or a component
- Asset Twins simulate two or more components working together and their interaction.
- System or Unit Twins can mirror multiple system assets working together, for instance, an entire production line.
- Process Twins lets the viewer see how an entire factory might view with a top-level view of the systems interacting with each other.
Use Cases of Digital Twin
Usually, heavy industries with considerable assets have adopted the digital twin technology that has been designed and tested digitally in the twin before being physically produced.
Automotive Industry: From the system design phase to the production line, digital twins can help the automotive industry to perfect every stage of development and improve the integrity of the vehicles. As a Metaverse development company, we have created a digital twin for a prominent automotive manufacturer for their production line in 3D form, i.e., a replica of a car. Along with the mirrored factory line, interactions between components and day-to-day operations with productivity insights and defect detection are created in the digital twin.
The concept brings a huge array of benefits to the automotive industry with earlier development and testing, increased productivity and performance, enhanced collaboration, predictive maintenance, and faster delivery of safety systems with autonomous driving simulations.
Healthcare Industry: Healthcare holds great promise for improving lives, enhancing business operations, holding out for unprecedented changes, and training providers to operate more nimbly to meet the standards of high-quality patient care. The digital twin can mitigate any oncoming risk through predictive analytics based on combining internal and external data, including an array of factors into play. Health systems are asset-intensive facilities with monitoring and imaging devices that need to be explained to the providers along with their maintenance, and much more can be defined within digital twins.
We have created a digital twin for a well-known surgery equipment manufacturing company to give providers real-time visibility on how the devices are utilized, repair protocol, and equipment handling training before putting a patient at risk in the real world.
Manufacturing Industry: The manufacturing industry is inevitably undertaking digital twin in a central role with the growing influence of the Internet of Things, forging a connection between the digital and physical worlds. Sensors distributed throughout complex products such as mining equipment, jet engines, etc., can capture data along with a wide array of dimensions, behavioral characteristics, environmental conditions, and so on forth. The incoming data stream can lead to outputs that can uncover performance trends, risk factors, supply chain breakages, etc.
Benefits of Digital Twins
Accelerated Risk Assessment and Production Time: With the aid of the digital twin, companies can test and validate a product or an operation before it exists in the real world by disrupting and synthesizing unexpected protocols, examining the system’s reaction, and identifying mitigation strategies.
Financial Decision-making: By integrating financial data, such as the cost of materials, labor, etc., the digital twin can enable businesses to make better and faster adjustments and decisions on the economic forefront, thereby enabling better productivity.
Real-time Remote Monitoring: With a digital twin, getting a real-time, in-depth view of an extensive physical system is easier, enabling the business to monitor and control the system performance remotely.
Predictive Maintenance: The digital twin’s IoT sensors generate big data in real-time, allowing businesses to proactively identify problems within the system, schedule maintenance accurately, and lower costs through the real-world counterpart.
Future of Digital Twin
As Metaverse and other immersive technology are taking up the limelight in industries, it is no news that digital twins will foray into other industries in the near future. Sustainability, resilient logistics, better global trade, and strategic decision-making can help businesses illustrate their future of work in the digital twin and uncover better and more productive ways to do business, both digital and physical.
About Novac:
Novac Technology Solutions is a digital transformation and cloud solutions company headquartered in Chennai. With extensive expertise in Fintech, Retailtech, Insurtech, Edutech, and Immersivetech, Novac helps businesses transition seamlessly to the digital world with our world-class solutions while building long-lasting relationships with our clients. It’s strategic business unit, Novac Immerz®leverages immersive technologies for a plethora of fields, such as stimulating effective staff training, augmenting marketing efforts, improving customer experience, and much more for any industry vertical.
About the Author:
Shanavaz is the Head of Novac Immerz®, a strategic business unit of Novac Technology Solutions. He spearheads a team of passionate designers and developers to create innovative solutions that help customers enhance their employee and customer experiences. A thought leader in Immersive technologies (AR/VR/Metaverse) who not only looks into the future and stays ahead, but also manifests ideas that can spring to reality. He brings a decade of experience ranging from Training, operations and Marketing that enables him to understand client requirements and offer cutting edge solutions. He also delivers talks and knowledge sessions with the mission to enlighten professionals on Immersive technologies like AR/VR and Metaverse, and and the views expressed in this article are his own.
