Digital Twin Technology: What is it?

The world has changed in more ways than one, and digital twin technology is a perfect example to it. Using digital twin technology, scientists and researchers can create virtual replicas of physical devices to run simulations and make changes in their design before making the final physical device.

digital twin green ball replicating

Think about it from the augmented reality versions of Star Wars characters that you can see on your Google Pixel devices. What if you wanted to develop a Star Wars robot, and could see the actions performed by the Star Wars robot first, just to know if all’s good? The simulations could help you identify small to big errors, enabling you to get it right when you actually manufacture the robot.

Sure, you can use PA iLottery Bonus Code for online sports betting and that may be all you need but digital twin technology has more uses than you would think.

Why is it a Big Thing Today?

Interestingly, the technology has been around since 2002 but back then, it was expensive to be viable. Today, however, Internet of Things has made the technology cost-effective. IoT, as the Internet of Things is commonly called, enables devices to ‘talk’ to each other and be connected to the internet at all times. It’s what many new devices today use – from Alexa to Google Home.

Digital twin technology was named in the Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends in 2017. Gartner mentioned that with an estimated 21 billion connected sensors and
endpoints by 2020, digital twins will exist for billions of things in the near future.

NASA was the first one to experiment with the technology, which goes back during early days of space exploration. Its use maximized after the Apollo 13 mishap. The agency now uses digital twin technology for developing roadmaps, new recommendations, and next-generation aircraft and vehicles.

Other than that, digital twin technology is used in various sectors including energy, and transportation. Large and complex devices like trains and aircraft engines could be tested digitally before making them physically. Along with these, the technology can be used for maintenance operations.

The additional benefit to businesses

Using IoT sensors, businesses can create smaller digital twin models, thus saving time and money. In his article for Network World, Dave McCarthy mentioned that digital twins can be used to predict differing outcomes on variable data. It’s just like what happens in many of the sci-fi movies, where a scenario is first tested digitally for its possible outcomes.

By optimizing data and software analytics, IoT deployment can be used at its maximum efficiency. The more the companies are able to digitally twin objects; the better will be the efficiency.

With a digital twin, researchers will be able to know the actual performance and identify issues from before, saving money and productivity. Tech giants like Oracle, GE, and
Microsoft have invested extensively in research and development of digital twin technology within their personal IoT environments.

Microsoft mentioned that Process Digital Twin is the next level of digital transformation. They will be compounding Product Digital Twin benefits throughout their supply chain and factories.

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