Toward Sustainable Development: Exploring the Value and Benefits of Digital Twins

Abstract

The complexity and number of data streams generated by internal processes exceed the capabilities of most current simulation environments. Consequently, there is a need for the development of more advanced solutions that can handle any number of simultaneous simulations. One of the most promising ideas to address these and other challenges is the concept of a Digital Twin (DT), which refers to a digital representation or a virtual model designed to accurately reflect an intended or actual physical product, system, or process (i.e., a physical twin). As a Digital Twin spans the life-cycle of its physical twin, its development and application can bring considerable benefits to organizations seeking to improve existing processes as well as implement new ones. However, few studies have comprehensively examined the value and benefits of Digital Twins. To fill this gap, this study aims to provide a better understanding of this technology by reviewing the contemporary literature, with a particular focus on the documented case studies, as well as reported business and industrial deployments. The results obtained show that Digital Twins have proven beneficial for maintenance, cost reduction, optimization, simulation performance, monitoring, product life-cycle understanding, assessment validation, performance evaluation, product design, and safety and risk mitigation. In addition, when considering the human factor, DTs can facilitate education and training, team collaboration, and decision making. Undeniably, Digital Twins are a game changer for safer, faster, and more sustainable development.