Chapter 1 - Background and Concept of Digital Twin

Abstract

With the developments of new generation information technologies (New IT), such as cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), big data and artificial intelligence (AI), a smart manufacturing era is emerging. Accordingly, various national manufacturing development strategies have been put forward, such as Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet, manufacturing based on cyber–physical system(CPS), and Made in China 2025. It is clear that achieving cyber–physical fusion is a crucial step for the implementation of smart manufacturing. Although CPS provides the framework and mechanism for seamless interaction between physical and cyber components, it mainly belongs to the academic category and focuses on the verification of scientific principles rather than the practical optimization of engineering applications. Therefore, digital twin (DT) is introduced as a pragmatic way for cyber–physical fusion. In this chapter, the background and history of DT are introduced. The different understandings of the DT concept from researchers in academia and practitioners in industry are next reviewed. Some concepts related to DT are also introduced to provide a deeper insight. Finally, the potential benefits of DT are concluded.