A Digital Twin for Remote Learning: A Case Study

Abstract

In recent years, industrial production has gone through intensive processes of increasing productivity and quality. However, the previous optimization approaches have already exhausted their potential and possibilities for further improving production, and the 4th industrial revolution has arrived. Digitalization plays the most critical role in the optimization of production today. One of the essential technologies for digitizing production is the digital twin technology. A digital twin is an exact virtual model of a product or production line. It consists of several elements, such as manufacturing simulations, 3D CAD models, and real-time data feeds from sensors embedded in the physical operating environment. The article presents the concept of a digital twin at the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies of the Technical University of Košice. It describes 3 phases of model creation: CAD software, Unreal Engine, and real-time 3D software (Twinmotion). The research presents a systematic approach to solving the problem of creating a digital twin for education purposes. A prototyped digital twin of the faculty building and facilities can be used for educational and presentation purposes regarding remote learning, enabling students and educators to move around the building remotely. The digital twin, created by using multimedia and immersive technologies, will expand opportunities and increase learning efficiency in various ways, but it will also provide the basis for industrial production to increase productivity and quality.