Posted On: Jul-2023 | Categories : Manufacturing and Construction
The digital twin is a novel concept and one of the most popular technology. Digital twin combines concepts from artificial intelligence, the internet of things, metaverse, & virtual and augmented reality to construct digital representations of actual items, systems, or processes. Businesses all across the world are using digital twins for a variety of purposes, from precision medicine and digital agriculture to the engineering design of sophisticated machinery and immersive 3D environments.
Real-world example of Digital Twin
In recent years, innovative digital twins have been created recently, inspiring the industry & pushing the boundaries of several industries, including sports, engineering, medicine, etc. Few examples are given below:
Human brain
The human brain is the most complexly designed thing ever created & it is difficult to simulate it digitally. The EU funded Neurotwin project seeks to recreate particular human brains in order to create models that can foretell the most effective therapies for ailments like epilepsy & Alzheimer's. Neurotwin is the first research that focuses on modeling electromagnetic activity & the physiology of the brain.
Entire Human
One day every individual will be born with a digital twin that can be used to provide personalized medical treatments for them when they fall ill & simulate the effects of lifestyle decisions on their long term health. It will be possible to forecast a person's response to various medications using their particular genome, offering guidance on the most effective course of action if they develop diseases like Parkinson's disease and cancer. This will increase lifespans & reduce the wasted money associated with treatment plans that were never going to be effective because of the patient's genetic makeup.
Los Angeles Transportation
In order to construct a data-driven digital twin of the city's transportation infrastructure, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation has collaborated with the Open Mobility Foundation. It will initially simulate the movement & activity of micro mobility options like the city's shared-use bicycle & e-scooter network. After then, it will be expanded to include carpooling, ride-sharing, and any upcoming innovative mobility solutions like autonomous taxi drones.
Whole Shanghai
The 26 million-person Shanghai Urban Operations and Management Center has created a digital twin of the city that simulates 100,000 different aspects, such as the size and location of residential complexes, e-bike infrastructure, and garbage disposal and collection facilities. In order to build the living model, its inventor, 51World, uses information from satellites and drones. In order to help in reaction planning, it can also be used to model the effects of natural disasters like flooding.
Sport Stadium
The Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, the home field for the LA Rams & LA Chargers of the National Football League, features a digital twin that simulates the stadium & the 300 acre Hollywood Park complex surrounding it. It gathers real time data from every aspect of operations into a single platform that can be used to respond to inquiries from everyone, from event planners looking to use the space to maintenance & janitorial operations. Users interact with the twin through an app store approach, where they can download programs with the required capabilities and functionality.
World’s 1st 3D printed bridge
The first pedestrian bridge to be totally built using 3D printing is the 12 meter steel bridge that spans the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in the heart of Amsterdam. A series of sensors has been installed in the entire building as a part of the project by the turing institute. The twin created using the data collected by these sensors may be used to examine how well the structure performs under stress from normal operation.
Every Single Tesla Sold
Tesla builds a digital simulation of each of its vehicles with the help of information gathered from sensors in each of its cars and& uploaded to the cloud. These reduce the need for owners to bring their vehicles to service centers for repairs & maintenance by enabling the company's AI algorithms to determine the locations where problems & breakdowns are most likely to occur. This reduces the cost to the firm of repairing vehicles still covered by warranties and enhances user experience, resulting in happier customers and a greater likelihood of obtaining repeat business.
A digital twin is widely being adopted to unleash the potential of artificial intelligence, digitalization & data in commercial solutions to facilitate the future mobile network.
Network Digital Twin: an approach to automation for 5G networks
The signals, coverage, interference, and traffic behavior, including user movement between frequency layers known as the invisible network, are all modeled by a network digital twin.
According to Umlaut's global benchmark rankings for 2021, Swisscom operates as the top-scoring network in the world in Switzerland. They are also governed by some of the tightest laws regarding radiated power. Regulations would only permit the deployment of a few additional 5G sites with low power without modifications to the current infrastructure, resulting in patchy coverage on a new low-band layer that will be used by both 4G & 5G additional Radio.
A new era for site and equipment management: Site Digital twins
A Site Digital Twin simulates the visible network, including the towers, machinery, and other site-specific assets. However, on-site equipment lifecycle management is frequently far from agile. A single physical location may have more than 20 papers that describe its installation, ranging from CAD plans and pictures to spreadsheets and product data sheets. This manual documentation slows down the process, making mistakes more likely, and frequently results in needless site visits and mast climbs.
For example, the IKEA kitchen planner was launched in the telecom industry through the use of a digital twin, enabling fully digitalized site and equipment design and management. Each site has a single digital twin with a precise 3D model obtained using laser scanners (LiDAR), cameras, and drones. The twin contains all the essential metadata required for successful and effective lifecycle management, including limitations like weight, power, and component compatibility.
Digital Twins for subscribers: integrating 5G with the wider universe
Research is being conducted in collaboration with NVIDIA Omniverse to bring CGI technology from video games and movies to the telecom sector, enabling real-time subscriber modeling with the Unity gaming engine.
This revolutionary breakthrough will see the development of internal network models with previously unheard-of measuring accuracy. 5G propagation models are being deployed along with 3D gaming technology, with the extraordinarily high computational complexity of physically correct models.
The technology enables the detailed modeling of surface materials that affect radio frequency (RF) propagation and the modeling of user mobility and dynamic scene elements like vehicular traffic. It also enables high-resolution complex city and indoor geometry for modeling, including bridges, tunnels, foliage, and other structures.
With the use of technology, businesses can develop a virtual version of their process and product & test it before going into production. Real-time and accurate data are used to generate the virtual replica in order to match the physical product. Businesses can comprehend how the product will operate and finally make improvements to improve it by testing this duplicate in various settings. Consequently, assisting them in creating a flawless product right away.
Examples of digital twin applications in each industry are:
Manufacturing
The usage of digital twins to improve production efficiency is growing. Manufacturers may review data more quickly, examine performance patterns over time, and streamline their processes by simulating an industrial process in virtual reality.
Monitoring production lines is one application for digital twins. They are used by companies to monitor important performance metrics, like temperature, pressure, & speed. They can also monitor the environment and spot any production irregularities. These irregularities might point to a problem or flaw.
Manufacturing digital twins can aid in advising equipment on predictive maintenance. They can therefore spot possible issues before they develop into expensive breakdowns. This aids in lowering downtime and enhancing product dependability.
Example:
Intelligent Engine by Rolls Royce
The Intelligent Engine program from Rolls-Royce makes use of digital twins. For every engine they generate, the program builds a digital twin. They can then collect information from onboard sensors on different factors. They can anticipate maintenance requirements and minimize downtime through real-time engine performance monitoring during flights.
Ford creates seven digital twins for every model of vehicle it makes. Each twin works in a different aspect of production, starting from idea - build - operation. They also use digital models for manufacturing procedures, production facilities, & customer experience. The DT of their manufacturing facility can accurately recognize energy losses & identify areas in which energy could be saved, & performance of the production line can be increased.
Automotive
Digital twins are used for development, production, & aftermarket services in the automotive sector.
Without creating even a single physical prototype, engineers can test a variety of designs & choose the ones that perform the best. The manufacturing procedure can be improved, decreasing downtime and increasing output. Finally, predictive maintenance will assist in maintaining their vehicles before any problems may develop.
The automotive sector can benefit greatly from digital twins. Digital twins are essential because of the market's shift toward electric vehicles.
Volvo, a renowned automaker known for assuring the highest level of passenger safety, uses digital twins. They build digital copies to test and experiment with various materials and aerodynamics of new car designs. They can select the optimum design, enhancing performance and producing vehicles that use less gasoline.
Construction
Digital twin enables building organizations to test various scenarios, such as changes in design, inclement weather, or security incidents. And none of these require interfering with the construction.
The virtual models offer a thorough view of how the item is created and functions. For instance, it enables building businesses to see how each hallway and room will be lit, how many people can fit in the area, and more.
Additionally, the use of digital twins helps in designing structures in an environmentally friendly manner.
Crossrail project is a major infrastructure of London. To see what the final product would look like, the engineers employed digital twins and were also able to track the project's development and identify prospective problems.
To improve throughput, engineers optimized and simulated the construction process using digital twins. They also reduced waste by optimizing the use of their resources.
Energy & Utilities
The recent pandemic has dramatically expedited digital technologies, notably digital twin technology, in the energy and utilities sector. This technology allows businesses to replicate real-time performance and build virtual models of their energy assets. This can minimize costs and considerably lessen the requirement for physical examination.
Additionally, it can aid in raising the protection systems' general effectiveness and quality. Testing operations may be conducted remotely and at any time, thanks to digital twin technology.
Shell employs digital twins for its offshore platforms to boost safety and maximize output. They employ digital twins to view and simulate numerous scenarios while simultaneously collecting real-time data from the platform's multiple sensors. This aids in spotting problems before they become serious and improving platform performance.
Digital twins increase effectiveness, productivity, safety, and also improve employee training.
Healthcare
Healthcare uses of digital twins include better patient care, system optimization, appropriate training, and other things. Healthcare providers can mimic various scenarios and spot potential problems by using digital twin technology in the diagnosis process without interfering with the patient's current care. As a result, it may aid in increasing diagnosis accuracy and minimizing the use of pointless procedures and tests.
Healthcare providers can also spot patterns & trends that can detect potential health danger by developing a thorough digital picture of the patient's anatomy & medical history. The development of virtual representations of medical equipment like implants, prosthetics, &other devices, is another application of digital twin technology in healthcare.
Ossur is a well-known provider of orthopedic and prosthetic solutions. They create and produce personalized prosthetics for people using digital twin technology. The main benefit in this situation is that the prostheses will fit you more comfortably and individually.
The design and personalization of prosthetic limbs are built on the digital twin. The engineers and designers at Ossur may simulate and evaluate multiple design iterations using this virtual model.
Transportation
Virtual representations of transportation networks, including highways, bridges, and trains, are made using digital twin technology. These DT monitor how these systems might behave in situations, like congested traffic, inclement weather, & scheduled maintenance.
It enables testing and performance optimization of these systems before they are developed or updated by transportation engineers and planners. The real-time performance of transportation systems can also be tracked using digital twin technology, enabling preventive maintenance and increased safety.
It includes giving real time information to drivers like traffic situations, road closures, & weather alerts to aid in better driving decisions.
Ford is the best transportation industry example of a digital twin. They create their autonomous automobiles using digital twins. They evaluate the effectiveness of their self-driving algorithms while testing their product in various driving situations.
Medicine
A completely new world of medical potential is made possible by digital twins. Medical practitioners can modify medications & therapies to meet the needs of each patient.
Digital twins can also be applied to medical training and teaching. They can experiment with its complexities and execute difficult processes without any danger. It's like having an interactive, very realistic anatomy lecture at their disposal.
Digital twins can also help with medical studies. Scientists can examine virtual models to learn more about how diseases arise, test various theories, & hasten the creation of innovative treatments.
To boost its R&D efforts in the field of cancer, Pfizer uses digital twins. Understanding the mechanism underlying cancer and creating viable treatments are the company's goals.
They can imitate the action of the medications in a variety of circumstances using digital twins. As a result, scientists may examine its effectiveness, interactions with biological systems, and any negative consequences.
Pharmaceutical companies can test new medications using a digital twin of a cancer patient.
The consumer experience and store operations can both benefit from the use of digital twins in the retail industry. Store design and layout optimization is one of the main applications of digital twin technology in retail.
Retailers can experiment with alternative layouts and product displays to observe how they affect consumer flow and purchasing behavior by building a virtual duplicate of a store. They can use it to find the best strategies to boost sales and enhance the client experience.
Inventory management is a vital application of digital twin technology in retail. Retailers can build a digital twin of their inventory that is updated in real-time by evaluating data from sensors and other sources. They can monitor inventory levels and spot impending stockouts early on, lowering the chance of lost sales.
Retailers can employ digital twin technology to streamline their supply chain processes, like figuring out the most cost effective shipping routes & locating any bottlenecks.
The well-known retailer Walmart makes use of digital twin technology. They experiment with various layouts and designs in an effort to maximize their retail layout. They can evaluate elements like product positioning and aisle design in the store by simulating various layouts.
Additionally, their inventory management system takes advantage of the technology. Companies first build a digital twin of their physical stores and stock it with virtual goods. After that, they will evaluate and improve the stock levels, product positioning, and replenishment plans.
They can evaluate the effects of changes in demand, seasonal variations, or supply chain disruptions on inventory management by simulating various scenarios. They can further improve their systems and procedures to get the following results.
Walmart has improved consumer experiences and increased operational efficiency as a result of adopting the digital twin.
A smart city is an urban setting where connectivity, data, & technology come together are combined to improve the quality of life for its citizens. It also emphasizes enhancing sustainability and resource management.
IoT and cutting-edge data analytics are among the employed technologies. These technologies allows to build sophisticated infrastructure & systems for different industries.
It is possible to replicate and examine several scenarios, including traffic flow, energy usage, and emergency response, using a digital twin of a smart city.
Cities may simulate and evaluate traffic flow using digital twin technology, find bottlenecks, and improve traffic signal timing.
Energy usage may be modeled and analyzed in smart cities, which can also help pinpoint places where energy efficiency can be increased and maximize the use of renewable energy sources. It may consequently result in cost savings and a decrease in carbon emissions.
Cities can also model and assess emergency response situations, such as natural catastrophes and terrorist attacks, using digital twin technology.
With the aid of Digital Twin, the Virtual Singapore Platform has perfected its virtual representation of the city-state. The platform acts as a thorough duplicate of Singapore, assisting in addressing and resolving urban planning issues.
They may replicate and evaluate alternative strategies to enhance the city by utilizing digital twins.
One of its main advantages is the Virtual Singapore Platform's capacity to include current data from various sources. The platform may precisely simulate numerous scenarios by incorporating these data.