Let’s skip the theory because the digital twin technology is already working practically. It is being used in manufacturing plants, in urban planning, and for medical treatment testing in hospitals. The following five examples prove that point.
Siemens Turned a German Factory Into a Living Model
Siemens has created a fully digital model of their production line at the Amberg factory, including each process performed by each machine. Consequently, there has been an excellent quality rate as well as the ability to produce more than one thousand different types of products without losing any speed. In other words, this case became the main example of using digital twins.
NASA Started It All, and Still Uses It
It was originally developed when NASA began to replicate Earth-based space technology into its spacecrafts, but that is not where it ended. In the development of the Mars Curiosity rover program, digital modeling was used to develop the rover before it even hit the ground on the Red Planet.
Singapore Built an Entire City in Software
Virtual Singapore is a simulation of the entire country in 3D. The simulation allows planners to test everything from the introduction of a subway system to disaster management, such as how to respond to flooding, to ensure there are no issues beforehand.
Hospitals Are Testing Treatment Before They Commit to It
Many providers now generate customized virtual models based on images, genetics, and live biometrics for their patients. Rather than experimenting with different treatments to see which one works, providers can try their therapy on the twin version of the person first.
Power Grids Are Learning to Balance Themselves
Renewable energy has a stability issue, which is being quietly solved by digital twins. The utilities sector already runs digital simulations of the grid, predicting peak demands and simulating how solar/wind energy would perform before sending electricity to the grid itself.
The Future of Digital Twins Looks Connected
The change we are seeing isn’t just in the application of digital twins. The revolution lies in their communication. A manufacturing facility sending its data to a supply chain twin. Or a smart city sending data to a smart energy grid. With artificial intelligence and IoT making great progress in these models, The Future of Digital Twins looks very promising indeed: Models that not only detect problems but solve them even before they become an issue.
Whether in Amberg, on Mars or even on the streets of Singapore, digital twins are already showing us their capabilities. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
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