A “Digital Twin” helped NASA in the construction and predictive maintenance of the complex James Webb Space Telescope that has provided some of the most lucid and impeccable images of outer space captured until now. The 3D representation powered by AI detected 344 different ways in which the model could fail and guided scientists in the construction of the right one. The Digital Twins technology is proving to be immensely effective in creating 3D representations of physical objects and their surrounding that enables real time monitoring and facilitates process optimization with the help of of data collection and analytics. Not only in aerospace it has spread its wings in sectors like real estate, healthcare, manufacturing and several others.
“Digital Twin technology is a groundbreaking solution that is revolutionizing the way infrastructure is rolled out. This offers a comprehensive and dynamic solution for design, construction and efficient management”, mentioned Sanjeev Kakkar, Senior Advisor, Lepton Software.
There are several processes where this technology has been implemented for the purpose of monitoring and optimization across sectors. Let us now delve deeper into the aspects of the business ecosystem that are getting benefitted from real time monitoring and optimization powered by digital twin solutions.
Getting Integrated with IoT
Digital Twins are being used to develop virtual models of production lines, production machinery and also entire factories in the manufacturing industry. IoT sensors are put on the physical machinery and allow the collection of data that is processed by the digital twin and predict potential equipment failures. The virtual model is also able to prevent breakdowns in the machinery using predictive maintenance. Waste reduction in production, quality improvement and optimization of manufacturing processes can be accurately done using the real-time data gathered from digital twins. Moreover, exact virtual layouts can undergo stimulation in a digital twin and all possible risks in a project can be detected before implementation.
To give an example, a notable business entity that provides digital twin solutions for the manufacturing industry is Siemens. It offers a comprehensive suite of digital twin technologies through its Siemens Digital Industries Software division. Their solutions include the Siemens Digital Twin for Industry 4.0, which helps manufacturers create detailed virtual models of their production processes, equipment, and products.
“The reluctance to embrace cloud-based solutions opens up a substantial opportunity for a new category of digital twins: Edge-enabled digital twins. These solutions operate independently of cloud infrastructure, maintaining data privacy and sovereignty while providing real-time data analytics and asset control”, mentioned David Purón, CEO, Barbara.
Creating Virtual Infrastructure
In the healthcare sector, businesses are making use of digital twin technology to create virtual models of individual patients, medical devices and at times complete healthcare facilities. Aspects like disease progression, responses to treatment and tailored treatment programs can be simulated by the patient specific digital twins. This has had a transformative impact on healthcare delivery and timely medical interventions. In case of medical devices, this technology is facilitating virtual testing and validation processes and helping scientists create more effective machinery through an informed exercise of predictive checks and balances.
In this regard, an organization that provides digital twin solutions for the healthcare industry is Philips Healthcare. It offers advanced digital twin technologies that create virtual models of patients, medical devices, and healthcare processes. These solutions enable personalized medicine, predictive analytics, and optimization of healthcare operations, ultimately improving patient outcomes and enhancing the efficiency of healthcare delivery systems.
“Digital Twin technology has gained an incredible amount of traction in the last few years. Though quite challenging to execute in a meaningful way, the concept is relatively simple: a digital twin is quite literally a digital version, model, or representation that is meant to replicate the constitution, nuances and behavior of a real-world physical counterpart”, mentioned Sai Balasubramaniam, Director, Texas Department of State Health Services.
Controlling Asset Performance
The energy generation sector is experiencing the usage of digital twin technology for the purpose of creating virtual models for complete distribution networks, wind farms and power plants. Constant monitoring and optimization of asset performance is resulting in reliable and efficient production of energy. Performance optimization and impact simulation are the key aspects taken care of by digitals twins for integration of renewable energy sources.
To give an example, one of the trusted organizations that provide digital twin solutions for the energy sector is General Electric (GE) Digital. GE Digital offers the Digital Twin for Power and Utilities, which helps energy companies, optimize the performance of their assets, such as power plants, wind farms, and distribution networks.
“Several pioneering companies are harnessing digital twin technology to revolutionize the optimization of energy assets. The technology can be deployed throughout the entire lifecycle of an asset, enhancing design, predicting potential failures before they occur, and significantly prolonging asset longevity”, mentioned Adam Aziz, Investment Banking Analyst, DAI Magister.
Apart from the above, digital twin solutions are being widely implemented for monitoring and optimization purposes in urban planning and smart cities, defense, automotive and others. IT organizations are constantly investing time, effort and capital on developing the outcome of this technology which will become evident in the years to come.