Digital twin is a technology that replicates real-world objects and systems in virtual space to analyze their condition and predict future changes.
As artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and big data technologies have advanced, digital twins have become a key technology for industrial innovation. Recently, their use has expanded into smart cities, healthcare, defense, and the energy industry.
As the name suggests, a digital twin means a “digital double.” It is a technology that identically reproduces products, equipment, buildings, and cities that exist in the real world in a virtual environment. It differs from simple 3D modeling. It continuously collects real-world data and reflects it in the virtual model, based on which various simulations and predictions are carried out.
For example, if sensors are attached to factory production equipment, information such as temperature, vibration, power consumption, and operating status is collected in real time. The collected data is delivered to a digital twin platform. The equipment model built in virtual space remains in the same state as the real one. Operators can analyze the likelihood of failure or production efficiency in advance without stopping the actual equipment.
The concept of digital twin first drew attention in the early 2000s at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States. It is known to have begun with the creation of a virtual replica model to analyze the status of spacecraft and aircraft from the ground in real time. Later, as industrial IoT and artificial intelligence technologies advanced, it began to be applied across various industrial sites.
Manufacturing is the field where digital twin use is most active. The automotive, semiconductor, shipbuilding, and aviation industries are implementing entire production lines as digital twins. They can verify product performance at the design stage and identify production errors in advance. Cost savings and quality improvements can also be expected.
Its use is also expanding in smart cities. Entire cities are recreated in virtual space to analyze traffic volume, energy consumption, and environmental pollution levels. It is also used for urban development planning and disaster response simulations. A key feature is that various scenarios can be verified before actual policies are implemented.
In healthcare, research is under way to build digital twins based on human organs and patients’ biological information. The approach is to analyze each patient’s health condition in virtual space and establish customized treatment plans. There is also potential for use in simulating the effects of candidate compounds during new drug development.
Recently, intelligent digital twins combined with artificial intelligence have attracted attention. While previously they were limited to reflecting real-world data, they are now evolving to a stage where AI analyzes the data and predicts future situations. They are being used in various fields such as equipment failure prediction, production optimization, and traffic flow analysis.
Digital twins have the advantages of improving operational efficiency and reducing costs. Even situations that are difficult to test in real environments can be verified in virtual space. They also help ensure safety in hazardous work environments. For companies, they can reduce maintenance costs and increase asset utilization.
There are also limitations. Building a virtual model that matches the real world in detail requires enormous amounts of data and infrastructure. Many costs are involved in installing sensors and setting up data collection systems. If data accuracy is low, the reliability of prediction results also declines. Cybersecurity issues are also cited as an important challenge.
Market researchers forecast that the digital twin market will continue to grow strongly over the next several years. As demand for automation in industrial settings increases and AI technology becomes more advanced, its scope of use is expected to keep expanding.
Digital twins do more than simply replicate reality in virtual space. They are a technology that predicts the future based on real-time data and supports optimal decision-making. As a core tool for enhancing industrial competitiveness and operational efficiency, they are regarded as an essential technology in the era of digital transformation.
Photo: A digital twin of a ship visualized in Siemens TeamCenter X using NVIDIA Omniverse™ API (Photo = NVIDIA)