A digital twin is a detailed virtual replica of a physical or digital object or system. A digital twin is similar to a design file but also incorporates real-world, real-time changes based on direct observation and feedback from the object itself, typically via sensors or internet of things (IoT) devices. Digital twins can be created for buildings, machines, or offshore drilling platforms—even for reconstructing the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris or solving the technological challenges of the NASA Mars rover.
Digital twin software creates a virtual model of the system to be twinned and presents it as a visual representation, which might be anything from a 2D diagram, to a video feed, to virtual reality that’s experienced through a headset.
Unlike many models, a digital twin model is not static. Using embedded sensors and cameras, among other devices, the model sets up data streams from the system itself or associated external systems, delivering information about current conditions or operational metrics. As it incorporates these data streams, the digital twin can reflect the system in real time. With the help of data management and processing, the digital twin can alert stakeholders to changes, predict upcoming events, and provide a high-level view of the health of the system.
In addition to mirroring ongoing processes, a digital twin brings all data, both archival and contextual, about its physical twin into one place. The digital twin will store in-depth metadata about each physical object in use, even down to individual machine parts. For example, a digital twin of an office building can include service records about the building’s HVAC system.
This kind of digital twin can be made up of a hierarchy of smaller digital twins that serve as building blocks. A digital twin of a factory, for example, might also contain twins of various secondary processes, every piece of equipment in use, and even personnel on duty. The factory digital twin could itself be part of a larger digital twin of a company’s manufacturing sites or its entire enterprise.
Organizations that own or operate complex assets like office buildings and transportation systems need ways to improve operations, reduce costs, and deliver more competitive products. With high-speed computer networks, advanced data processing, and especially IoT technology, digital twins can incorporate more data and produce insights faster than ever.
There are an infinite number of purposes for digital twins, but a short list of uses includes:
Widely available IoT technology is bringing the benefits of digital twins to more industries and use cases, but technological, logistical, and even legal challenges remain:
The use of digital twins may not be new, but many of its applications are—including future-facing smart city projects and modern data security architectures. Pure FlashBlade® is the industry's most advanced all-flash storage solution for consolidating fast file and object data. With a scale-out metadata architecture that can handle tens of billions of files and objects with maximum performance, FlashBlade is the perfect platform for data rich services such as digital twins. Check out FlashBlade today!
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