By incorporating real-world data and lessons learned into the digital twin paradigm, “virtual twins” allow for more accurate representations of actual systems.
Mainly a digital twin is a digital replica of the main product, and that is OK, but consider its effects during and after creation.
Virtual twin solutions vary from actual twins in this sector as the virtually twined stores the final design and its process.
It also details the product’s development. Virtual twin applications also capture design team talks, which helps explain engineers’ revisions.
What is Virtual Twin Technology?
Manufacturers can better cooperate, model, optimize, and execute by constructing dynamic virtual models of actual products, buildings, assets, and processes utilizing data from the physical world with Virtual Twins.
Firms may better develop strategies that achieve commercial and sustainability objectives by modeling the effects of different scenarios using the digital model.
The Virtual Twin Experience: What Is It?
The virtually twined environment allows for a wide variety of interactions between users, including selling digital and physical goods, holding conferences, seminars, trade exhibits, and even concerts.
In the virtual twin experience, humans may even utilize avatars to convey their individuality.
You may now create a digital duplicate of yourself, an alternate identity, or a fully formed fictitious character. It depends on the user’s settings and the platform’s rules.
Even you may customize your digital “avatar” by selecting clothing and accessories. Some of the several games and apps include virtual Gucci apparel and accessories.
The primary function of the digital duplicate is to provide a visual depiction of the physical duplicate’s current condition.
Furthermore, the information gained from the virtual twin applications must be used to mitigate harm to people and the environment.
This virtual model will show how dangerous the actual experiment will likely be.
Brief History of Virtual Twins
In 2002, people started talking about the possibility of a digital twin. Professor Michael Greeves of the University of Michigan defined three distinct digital twins in his paper titled “Origins of the Digital Twin Concept.” The following examples serve as templates:
• The product itself, in the actual world;
• Product itself, in the virtual world;
• Data and information that combines the digital and physical worlds.
As Greeves noted, the ideal settings allow for extracting all relevant data from the experiment with the product’s digital twin.
NASA’s 2010 report on modeling and simulation explained the notion of virtually twined technology, which originated there.
This is a very accurate simulation of a space shuttle’s development and test missions. What a lot!
In fact, this incident illuminated the possibilities of this technology and highlighted, once again, the significance of the Internet of Things.
The digital “friend” inspires the creation of virtual twin solutions.
This technology is an ever-evolving profile incorporating current and historical information about an item or activity.
In fact, this technology constantly updates itself with new information, including files, images, videos, purchases, locations, and more.
All of this information ensures that the twin virtually portrays the present status of the physical item or process accurately.
The technology has the potential to foretell how an object would behave under a variety of conditions.
In fact, the possibilities provided by AI and ML are the foundation of this function.
Virtual Twin Characteristics
| Modeling of resources, operational procedures, physical facilities, and operational metrics. |
| Until you discover the optimal setup in the real world, you may experiment with different settings in the virtual one. |
| A continuous improvement loop that can make real-time adjustments and fine-tune operations. |
| Assembly line work, which may lead to repetitive stress injuries, and the employment of social isolation tactics are only two of the mimicked dangers of the workplace. |
| Increasing flexibility via the simulation of planned transitions and the identification of the most effective means of reducing service interruptions. |
| Having all your real-time data in one place will improve efficiency across the board. |
Elements of a Successful Virtual Twin
The use of Virtual Twin technology requires the following four parts:
• Collaboration,
• Modeling,
• Optimization, and
• Performance.
The following section will focus on each element of the technology-
Collaboration
Stakeholder analysis is a method for determining a business project’s requirements, preferences, and desired outcomes under lean principles.
Modeling
This is the cornerstone of the digital revolution. Showing physical systems (and frequently individuals) achieves a realistic picture of machinery, processes, and workflows. Maintaining precision throughout this endeavor is essential.
Optimization
To lessen production bottlenecks and boost productivity, the Virtual Twin Experience evaluates, tries out, and tests potential changes digitally.
At this point, adjustments to the plan become a genuine “what if” experiment, with the ability to cycle through several variations in real-time, from using varying equipment cycles to analyzing workers’ time and mobility.
Performance
This is what the real-world rollout of the virtual factory’s new processes and procedures aims to achieve.
When the Virtual Twin Experience goes well, production changes may be implemented rapidly and with little interruption.
Equipment with sensors sends real-time data back to the duplicate to verify findings and provide a new reference point for further trials and enhancements.
Benefits of Using Virtual Twins Applications
These benefits include a measure of traceability and some degree of innate understanding. Let’s get to know more about the pros of making virtual twins a part of your life –
| This technology stores all the data gathered during research and development. Therefore, knowledge gained by employees is not lost when they go. The digital double helps newcomers get up to speed fast. |
| Virtual Twin also benefits if it envisions a new version of an existing product. In this case, the digital double makes for a great jumping-off place. |
| The product development team may effectively use available data, recycle old blueprints, study their failures, and develop fresh ideas. The consequence is shorter development times and fewer design iterations. |
| Facilitated entry into the idea of the “Digital Twin.” Businesses may improve their understanding of and effectiveness with Digital Twin applications by adopting the twin notion of virtual reality. |
| Virtual Safety Dojo, POI Caution, Digital Twin Training Before Entering the Workshop. Things like fire drill assembly points and exit routes are good examples. |
| The Virtual Office’s reservation system and parking garage both benefit from using Virtual Twin. It will lead to more dialogue within the current time frame, lead time, and quality drive. |
| This whole twin process is paperless, with data generated entirely by the Physical Web, drastically reducing administrative overhead. |
Requirements for Virtual Twin Building
To assist you in avoiding the challenges that have occurred to a significant number of businesses in their efforts to implement digital twins, we have identified five crucial components that are essential to the adoption of the Virtual Twin Experience:
Planning and spending according to proportion in the budget
The first order of business is to do an analysis of the return on investment (ROI), usefulness, and possible effect of the virtual twin solutions.
Most of the Virtual Twin service provider companies offer in-depth financial research and cost-benefit analysis as a component of their value engagement service, intending to assist you in making educated choices on your firm’s future.
Having Well-Defined Business Goals
When you begin the deployment of the virtual twin, you should have a set of goals in mind.
This will act as a road map for what to accomplish next, and it will also help establish appropriate expectations for the capabilities of the system.
Acquiring Knowledge of Necessary Information
You must have a solid understanding of the information needs of your virtual twin solutions and the sources of that information.
Getting the required information makes it easier to relate the Infrastructure building easily.
Platform Technologies and Point-Solution Technologies difference
Due to the common practice among new companies and factories of selecting a single leader or representative for each system, several solutions have emerged in recent years.
This method needs to be more scalable; it does not matter if the first distribution proceeds faster than expected.
Following the first integration, every component must cooperate with the others. Following the installation of the update, the system can become incompatible.
The difference with a platform solution is that it makes it easier for teams to collaborate and can expand to meet the requirements of a business.
Collaboration in the workplace
Mike Bradford, Director of Strategic Business Development at DELMIA, has discovered that having a big collaborative team and senior leadership support are two of the most critical components when establishing a new system.
ERP came before MRP2, which was its precursor.
The Process of Building a Virtual Twin
An authentic item or process with sensors and data collection is required to create the virtual twin solutions.
In addition, special applications or a web-based infrastructure are needed for this to materialize. And since the analog and digital apparatuses are always linked,
First, information on the physical item, system, or technique is gathered.
There has to be a complete examination of all features and capabilities. There is strong collaboration between the programmers and the technicians.
The primary concern is pinpointing the issues that may crop up in most instances of use.
Mathematical descriptions are used to construct the future virtual twin’s linear or tree-like structure using telemetry data gleaned from sensors.
In fact, this has not been modified at all. Moreover, noticing this will provide you with an adequate idea of the entity’s structure with its perfect fitting setup.
The next step is to make the model dynamic instead of static. It is revitalized by the explanation of how things are done.
This act aims to test out several scenarios for how the item could act, both regularly and unexpectedly.
Here, technical experts construct scripts and checklists to track how various trials perform during testing.
By doing this, up to 90% of the time required to begin exploitation of the genuine item may be saved.
After the dynamic simulation model has been constructed, bringing a virtual twin to life may proceed. The digital duplicate maintains a separate existence from the original and develops over time.
Any required tweaks are first tried out on the system’s digital double before being implemented globally.
Virtual Twins Examples
The Internet of Things and virtual twins are enormous. Here are a few examples of virtual twin achievement in various sectors.
Aerospace Business
Digital duplicates keep an eye on the aircraft, predict the weather correctly, and find any problems well in advance of takeoff. It aids in reducing the amount of time that machinery is out of commission.
Dutch airline KLM used virtual twins to cut down on flight cancellations and delays by a factor of two. Jet engines used in the raft are another example.
First, over a thousand individual parts were gathered, and then comprehensive verification testing was performed to keep tabs on the machine’s overall security.
But thanks to virtually twined technology, the manufacturer does not have to shell out for the pricey actual sample of a jet engine. Any exact 3D clone, especially a virtual twin example, may take its place.
It will be examined, evaluated, and tested to see whether it follows the temporary guidelines.
Developers will likely make a digital copy of the popular engine. We can assess the state of its parts and foresee how it will be used thanks to this.
Manufacturing
To illustrate, pretend you work for a vehicle company developing a brand-new model. You may now use virtual twin technology to create your vehicle’s blueprints.
The next step is to mimic assessing your design’s resistance to external factors, such as examining how the automobile would hold up during an accident in the snow to discover whether you need higher quality brake systems that fulfill safety regulations.
Once your design is ready for production, you may utilize virtual twin examples to learn how various suppliers affect your product’s total carbon emissions and how that impacts your supply chain.
Last but not least, you and your coworkers and stakeholders may work together to standardize the data from your factories at every step of the process. The use of a unified online system accomplishes this.
During the research, development, and production phases, the platform will not demand you to switch between your design, data management, and simulation systems.
Companies and Corporations
The virtual twin examples provide a detailed account of the real-world connections between various business, economic, financial, and organizational indicators.
Using a virtually twined aids in the company’s overall planning, monitoring, and analysis phases and the evaluation of certain functional blocks, projects, and assets.
As an illustration of the digital revolution in the retail industry. The industry has dubbed this development “Retail 4.0.” Pygmalios claims their method can gather accurate, in-depth information on stores and customers. It helps gain insight into how people use your site.
Value chain regulation is the primary mechanism of twin technology improving economic efficiency.
Virtual twins examples are used for standard-based industrial and financial planning, investment planning, project portfolio management, and innovation management rather than risk management.
Healthcare Sector
The use of virtual twin solutions facilitates the collection of historical and real-time data on hospital operations and external conditions.
We can use virtual twins applications to investigate rare events like the Coronavirus, vehicle accidents, and dust storms.
Virtual twin examples assist medical personnel in identifying patients needing emergency care, planning more efficiently, and dealing with patients and visitors.
This information improves the hospital’s resource use, streamlines operations, and maximizes the contribution of its human and financial resources.
Using sonograms as a starting point, Philips created the HeartModel software, which produces a very accurate 3D model of the human heart.
This virtually twined has been found to save hospital expenditures, lessen the number of problems seen by patients, and shorten the time it takes to treat those who have had a stroke, according to research conducted at MUSC Health institutions. V
In fact, virtual twin applications, as described by the MUSC Health academic staff in collaboration with the Siemens Healthineers team, will alter the method of decision-making and, if required, the prescriptions.
Logistics and Supply
Many in the supply chain sector see virtual twin examples as game-changer. This is a significant movement in the logistics and supply chain industries.
In the following year and beyond, this twin technology of the virtual world is projected to revolutionize the supply chain business completely.
Of the companies that work with the Internet of Things, just 13% use the twin technology virtually.
However, 62% have said they are in the process of introducing virtual twin solutions.
In the past, supply chains were built around a central facility that manufactured and distributed its products.
As a result, there is now a vast supply-and-demand mismatch if demand is much greater. It eventually led to sloppy stock management, which in turn led to a shortage of funds and waste.
In 2020, a digital duplicate of the supply chain was developed, and it immediately began routing resources, personnel, and finished goods to where they were needed. And thus, the concept of an “Internet of Things supply chain” emerged.
Medical Services
Virtual twins applications help gather historical and real-time data on hospital operations and external situations.
Using virtual twin examples, we can study unusual occurrences like the Coronavirus, automobile accidents, and dust storms.
Virtual twins solutions help medical staff recognize emergency patients, prepare more effectively, and handle patients and visitors.
This information enhances the hospital’s resource usage, simplifies processes, and optimizes its human and financial resources.
Phillips produced the HeartModel program using sonograms to construct an accurate 3D heart model.
According to MUSC Health studies, virtual twin applications can save hospital costs, patient issues, and stroke treatment time.
The MUSC Health Academic Faculty and Siemens Healthineers team characterize virtual twins as changing decision-making and prescribing.
Difference Between the Digital Twin and Virtual Twin
The digital duplicate is always with the item or process. Digital twins are possible because of IoT technology.
Pretend we require building construction.
First, we need exploitation capital. Contracts, bills, schemes, reports, and camera recordings are collected.
Data upgrades are making unimportant facts relevant. The digital copy has all this information, structured and error-free. Note every change.
The object’s digital copy replicates its operation. They fix defects before they pose problems. The digital twin finds faults before distributing the product.
Virtual and digital twins both need IoT connectivity and their sensors collect data.
Machine learning methods analyze this data and create a virtual twin applications behavior model. Its behavior must match the real object.
Its digital duplicate enhances the remote control. The user may modify the item remotely.
Virtual twin solutions also let you track client activities. Thus, improvement is unlimited.
Moreover, virtual twin applications enhance projection accuracy, helping the company grow. Do not worry about impossible odds. Let me calculate!
The virtual copy enables any testing. If you wish to destroy or copy anything, you have limitless alternatives.
Another difference between virtual and digital twins is necessary. Industrial companies utilize virtual twin examples to monitor product health.
The digital twin can explain how something works but can not predict the future.
Digital twins can only predict behavior under the same conditions as the original data. Thus, only essential criteria apply here.
In a crisis, one’s behaviors are famously hard to predict where this twin technology simulates untried conditions.
The virtual twin technology is also unique. It knows what information it needs and how to get it to achieve its goals.
Even the virtual twin solutions will advise on attaching sensors and other measurement equipment to actual objects. The digital copy cannot.
Future of Virtual Twin
A digital twin and a virtual twin are not the same thing. The digital twin evolves by incorporating new data (often simulation models) into its models.
In addition, it uses analytics and machine learning to improve accuracy and predictability. What is the source of the data used by the virtual copy?
The virtual twin technology is a digital copy of a physical product or process based on information from several sources.
Afterward, it uses this data to simulate how the system would act in different conditions.
In fact, the more information and input it receives from the real world, the more accurate and robust the virtual twin’s simulation models and machine learning algorithms become.
It also encourages cooperation by making it easier for individuals engaged in a product’s design, development, and operation to share information, ideas, and simulations.
By cooperating, everyone may be sure that this twin technology is constantly operating with the most up-to-date knowledge and facts.
Final Thoughts
Virtual twin technology is powerful in digital transformation and industrial innovation.
In fact, virtual representations of assets, systems, and processes enable real-time monitoring, analysis, and simulation.
Moreover, virtual twin technology increases understanding, optimization, and decision-making by showing all assets and systems.
In virtual twins, IoT sensors, machine learning, and data analytics can capture and analyze vast amounts of data for predictive maintenance, performance enhancement, and scenario testing.
Virtual twins technology may assist manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, energy, and smart cities.
It saves time, money, reduces breakdowns, and protects workers. AR/VR lets users interact more naturally.
This field may grow as technology advances and more companies use virtual twins.
Virtual twin technology might revolutionize industries, operational efficiency, and innovation.
The term “virtual twin” (VT) refers to a pair of children who are the same age but are not biologically related. Without the need for a genetic connection, they may be raised in the same way as twins, allowing for direct evaluation of the impact of shared environments on behavior.
A digital twin is just a high-quality representation of the physical product you and your teams are developing. Virtual twins, on the other hand, have all of your project’s moving parts connected in one place.
After acquiring this information, a digital facsimile of the item is created for study, modification, and improvement. Virtual prototype, hybrid twin technology, virtual twin, and digital asset management are the same.
