The Function of a Digital Twin

Digital twins are virtual representations of actual devices that data scientists and IT professionals can use to run simulations before building and deploying genuine devices.

FREMONT CA: Beyond manufacturing, digital twin technology has advanced into the convergent worlds of the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

As increasingly complicated "things" become connected and capable of producing data, having a digital equivalent enables data scientists and other IT experts to optimize deployments for maximum efficiency and simulate alternative scenarios.

A digital twin represents a physical thing or system in a digital format. Digital twin technology has developed to incorporate buildings, factories, and even cities, and some have argued that even individuals and processes can have digital twins, further broadening the concept.

A digital twin is computer software that accepts real-world data about a physical thing or system as input and delivers predictions or simulations of how those inputs will influence that physical object or strategy as output.

A digital twin is created by specialists who are frequently experts in data science or applied mathematics. These developers study the physics behind the physical thing or system being emulated and use that information to create a mathematical model that replicates the physical object or system in digital space.

The twin is created so that it can receive data from sensors attached to a physical counterpart. This enables the twin to imitate the physical thing in real-time, providing information about its performance and potential for failure. The twin could also be based on a prototype of its physical counterpart, in which case it can provide input as the product is polished; in fact, the twin could serve as a prototype in and of itself before the physical counterpart is constructed.

The method is detailed in this post by Eniram, a business that makes digital twins for the giant container ships that transport the majority of the world's commerce—a particularly sophisticated type of digital twin application. However, a digital twin can be as complex or essential as desired. The amount of data used to create and update it determines the degree of precision you can simulate a physical thing. For instance, this lesson demonstrates how to create a rudimentary digital twin of an automobile by computing mileage using only a few input variables.