Definition Of Digital Twin Research Articles

Towards an extensible model-based digital twin framework for space launch vehicles

The concept of Digital Twin (DT) is increasingly applied to systems on different levels of abstraction across domains, to support monitoring, analysis, diagnosis, decision making and automated control. Whilst the interest in applying DT is growing, the definition of DT is unclear, neither is there a clear pathway to develop DT to fully realise its capacities. In this paper, we revise the concept of DT and its categorisation. We propose a DT maturity matrix, based on which we propose a model-based DT development methodology. We also discuss how model-based tools can be used to support the methodology and present our own supporting tool. We report our preliminary findings with a discussion on a case study, in which we use our proposed methodology and our supporting tool to develop an extensible DT platform for the assurance of Electrical and Electronics systems of space launch vehicles.

Unveiling the potential of Digital Twin technology for Higher Education

The concept of the Digital Twin (DT), a digital replica of a physical object or process, is relatively new to the higher education context. The increase in the application of DT technology across many industries has prompted the call for greater exploration of the possibilities for DTs in education along with a consideration of the challenges to their implementation. There are also questions being raised about the opportunity to develop DTs of learners to extend the use of data to inform learning and teaching, which has been boosted by the recent rise of learning analytics and educational data mining. In this paper we will explore what DT technology is and offer a new definition of DTs that can be used in the educational context. Current uses and the potential future applications will be explored, as well as consideration of what is necessary to build DTs of learners (and educators). The use of DT technology also poses many challenges due to the complexity of DT design and application, and these will be outlined. The paper concludes with a discussion of future directions and areas where more research is needed to fully explore the potential of DT for higher education.

The development of digital thread: the relations to digital twin and its industrial applications

PurposeThrough this research study, the authors found that digital thread has made significant progress in the life cycle management of the US Air Force. The authors hope that by reviewing similar studies in the aerospace field, the meaning of digital thread can be summarized and applied to a wider range of fields. In addition, theoretically, the definition of digital twin and digital thread are not unified. The authors hope that the comparison of digital thread and digital twin will better enable scholars to distinguish between the two concepts. Besides, the authors are also looking forward that more people will realize the significance of digital thread and carry out future research.Design/methodology/approachComplete research about digital thread and the relevant concept of the digital twin is conducted. First, by searching in Google Scholar with the keyword “digital thread”, the authors filter results and save literature with high relevance to digital thread. The authors also track these papers’ references for more paper of digital thread and digital twin. After removing the duplicate and low-relevance literature, 72 digital thread-related literature studies are saved and further analyzed from the perspective of time development, application field and research directions.FindingsDigital thread application in industries other than the aviation manufacturing industry is still relatively few, and the research on the application of digital thread in real industrial scenarios is mainly at the stage of framework design and design-side decision optimization. In addition, the digital thread needs a new management mechanism and organizational structure to realize landing. The new management mechanism and the process can adapt to the whole life cycle management process based on the digital thread, manage the data security and data update, and promote the digital thread to play a better effect on the organizational management.Practical implicationsBased on a review of digital thread, future research directions and usage suggestions are given. The fault diagnosis of high-speed train bogie as an example shows the effectiveness of the method and also partially demonstrates the advantages and effects brought by the digital thread connecting the data models at various stages.Originality/valueThis paper first investigates and analyzes the theoretical connotation and research progress of digital thread and gives a complete definition of digital thread from the perspective of the combination of digital thread and digital twins. Next, the research process of digital thread is reviewed, and the application fields, research directions and achievements in recent years are summarized. Finally, taking the fault diagnosis of high-speed train bogie as an example partially demonstrates the advantages and effects brought by the digital thread connecting the data models at various stages.

Digital Twin: Origin to Future

Digital Twin (DT) refers to the virtual copy or model of any physical entity (physical twin) both of which are interconnected via exchange of data in real time. Conceptually, a DT mimics the state of its physical twin in real time and vice versa. Application of DT includes real-time monitoring, designing/planning, optimization, maintenance, remote access, etc. Its implementation is expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades. The advent of Industry 4.0 has brought complex industrial systems that are more autonomous, smart, and highly interconnected. These systems generate considerable amounts of data useful for several applications such as improving performance, predictive maintenance, training, etc. A sudden influx in the number of publications related to ‘Digital Twin’ has led to confusion between different terminologies related to the digitalization of industries. Another problem that has arisen due to the growing popularity of DT is a lack of consensus on the description of DT as well as so many different types of DT, which adds to the confusion. This paper intends to consolidate the different types of DT and different definitions of DT throughout the literature for easy identification of DT from the rest of the complimentary terms such as ‘product avatar’, ‘digital thread’, ‘digital model’, and ‘digital shadow’. The paper looks at the concept of DT since its inception to its predicted future to realize the value it can bring to certain sectors. Understanding the characteristics and types of DT while weighing its pros and cons is essential for any researcher, business, or sector before investing in the technology.

Analysis of Digital Twin Definition and Its Difference from Simulation Modelling in Practical Application

The digital twin is widely known as a tool for digitalization of a product, but there is no common definition concerning this term. This article discusses the definition and utilization of digital twin. Areas of use, it’s implementation in the product lifecycle and most importantly it’s benefits. The lack of a standardized concept of a digital twin leads to a misunderstanding between mathematical models and digital twin. Several definitions of digital twin were analyzed and compared with the definition of mathematical model and simulation modelling. The basic concept of areas of use for digital twin is introduced. The differences and similarities between the two definitions were found. The article aims first of all to help the management of digital twins in practical application.
 Keywords: Digital twin, Mathematical modelling, Mathematical model, Lifecycle of a product, Simulation modelling, Practical use of digital twin, Difference between the digital twin and mathematical model, Simulation.

A Survey on Digital Twin: Definitions, Characteristics, Applications, and Design Implications

When, in 1956, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was officially declared a research field, no one would have ever predicted the huge influence and impact its description, prediction, and prescription capabilities were going to have on our daily lives. In parallel to continuous advances in AI, the past decade has seen the spread of broadband and ubiquitous connectivity, (embedded) sensors collecting descriptive high dimensional data, and improvements in big data processing techniques and cloud computing. The joint usage of such technologies has led to the creation of digital twins, artificial intelligent virtual replicas of physical systems. Digital Twin (DT) technology is nowadays being developed and commercialized to optimize several manufacturing and aviation processes, while in the healthcare and medicine fields this technology is still at its early development stage. This paper presents the results of a study focused on the analysis of the state-of-the-art definitions of DT, the investigation of the main characteristics that a DT should possess, and the exploration of the domains in which DT applications are currently being developed. The design implications derived from the study are then presented: they focus on socio-technical design aspects and DT lifecycle. Open issues and challenges that require to be addressed in the future are finally discussed.