Importance of Digital Twin Technology for IoT

Digital Twin, in essence, is creating a digital representation of an existing physical system. It is a digital model that includes the physical constraints and the behavior from sensors attached to it and then analyzes data from these constraints. The Digital Twin serves as a platform for making decisions on optimizing or assuring performance for an asset or process with great accuracy and efficiency.

At first glance, Technology might appear like something new and different. But in reality, it’s something that has been around since the 1800s before even being named by Ralph Jennings in 1969. In his paper, Jennings defined a twin as “The representation of a physical system using a digital computer, so that one can use a computer to predict the response of the physical system under specified operating conditions.” Digital Twins are slowly becoming part of our everyday life. Technology is essential for enabling IoT in operational systems. The concept behind Digital Twin is to have a precise digital replica or representation of an existing physical asset and then make predictions on how it will perform for years to come based on its performance history and alerts about upcoming problems. This article explain the impartance of digital twins for IoT.

What is IoT?

Internet of Things will be a term we hear much more often over the next few years. IoT, or the Internet of Things, referred to the network of physical objects connected online and monitored. It’s estimated that there will be 19 billion connected devices by 2020, dealing with billions of daily transactions. Please make no mistake; IoT is coming fast! From smart homes to wearable products, it is a rapidly growing field. The use cases vary from simple point-to-point applications in industrial environments to large-scale companies deploying complex networks synchronously with multiple cloud infrastructures.

What is a Digital Twin?

A Digital Twin is a digital replica or representation of an existing physical asset. Digital Twins provide the ability to capture, model, and simulate a real-world process or product in a virtual space. The digital replica is built by monitoring the real-world asset with sensors that feed data into the system. It can use this information to create simulations and predictions based on historical data and sensor readings.

Digital Twin Concepts – Prerequisites for Digital Twin Technology

Data on assets is readily available through sensors that measure physical characteristics and environmental conditions. The assets are measured in several ways, including sensors that use light, electricity, airflow, and even heat levels. There are many different types of sensors available and many different ways to interpret the data collected from these sensors. With this easily accessible data, creating a digital representation of an asset with the information being processed by computers or servers at a central location is simple.

Why is Digital Twin Important to IoT?

A digital twin concept provides the ability to capture, model, and simulate a real-world process or product in a virtual space. The digital replica is built by monitoring the real-world asset with sensors that feed data into the system. This information can create simulations and predictions based on historical data and sensor readings. Digital Twins allow

the creation of highly reliable assets that can increase knowledge and control over assets to improve performance. They enable improved integration between people, processes, assets, and Technology, leading to value creation, increased profitability, and a healthier bottom line.

A digital twins example from a car manufacturing plant could be to be able to model, simulate and predict how the steering wheel of a car will interact with the steering system, with the software giving instructions based on what needs changing to be more efficient.

It is essential to mention that Digital Twin is not only about asset monitoring and simulation; it also includes physical design and configuration for assets, as well as building solutions for new assets. It’s no longer about an asset or infrastructure but one that can look into its past performance history.

Using Digital Twins to Secure and Update IoT Devices Remotely

Digital Twin is a crucial ingredient in securing IoT devices. By having an accurate Digital Twin, security can be applied to the virtual representation of the device rather than the physical asset itself. It is because it’s easier to update and patch a digital asset than a physical one, eliminating any human errors that can occur during maintenance or repair. Having a Digital Twin also provides insight into problems before they occur in real life so security vulnerabilities can be fixed immediately instead of waiting for an attack. Imagine if you could have all your connected devices patched, secure, and monitored from anywhere in the world!

Digital twins are transforming more than just operational assets. They are being used in a variety of situations.

IoT digital twins will eventually be an essential tool in the IoT market. They will be a game changer for companies that want to enhance their performance further, safety and security based on better insights into physical processes.

The IoT edge computing digital twin maintenance market is projected to be worth $298.2 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 91.3%. Edge computing and IoT are converging technology stacks that drive the value for their customers. Companies already investing in IoT are finding it key to leverage edge computing technologies and ensure their business runs more efficiently, effectively, and securely.

The use cases for Digital Twin provide the ability to create highly reliable assets that can help improve performance and increase knowledge and control over assets.