This blog is an overview of what a digital twin is and discusses how the term has changed with technology over course of history.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world body or system. This is implemented through a fixed software object or model that helps mirror a unique physical commodity, process, organisation, person or other abstraction. Data from multiple digital twins can be aggregated for a complex view across several real-world entities, such as manufacturing plant and their related processes. The most powerful use of a digital twin is in the Healthcare sector where doctors and practitioners can produce digital twins of patients’ organ systems. These digital twins can simulate procedures before an operation to help doctors familiarize themselves with a procedure.
The first implementation of a digital twin was over 50 years ago in 1970 by NASA for the Apollo 13 mission. The digital twin was created by way of 15 simulators to train the astronauts and controllers of every aspect of the mission including failure scenarios. Controllers were able to rapidly adapt and modify scenarios to match real-life situations to perfect the strategy required for bringing the astronauts home safely.
Years of innovation passed by and a period of rapid growth brought about the creation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in 1999. This term refers to a collective network of connected devices, the technology that facilitates communication between devices and the cloud, as well as between the devices themselves. This enabled digital twins to become more sophisticated by being able to collect data from physical systems in real time.
The 2010s saw the use of digital twins expand its reach by being introduced to other industries such as healthcare and automobiles. These digital twins were brought to revolutionise these industries and improve the consumer experience whilst optimizing urban planning along with infrastructure.
In the most recent decade (the 2020s) the everyday use of digital twins has been accelerated. This was largely due to the pandemic forcing companies and industries to adapt to the new business climate through a digital platform to minimize in-person interactions. This approach helped other businesses to realise the potential of digital assets and accelerate innovation in these industries. Due to this recent imposition of use by businesses, it saw the global digital twin market to be worth an estimated $7.5 Billion at the end of 2021.
Today, the use of digital twins continues to grow as organizations seek to derive more value from their data and improve their operations through simulation and analysis. The future of digital twins looks bright by the end of the decade(2030) with the industry of digital twins expected to grow by a further 39%. However, to reach this target the industry faces numerous challenges with the greatest being able to capture data efficiently.
Thankfully, Zuant 3D can provide a solution to this problem by providing a digital twin where Data Capture is at the forefront of our digital twin service. This is done in an automated way with everything you need working in the background allowing you to extract the full potential of your digital twin. Zuant 3D then takes this a step further by allowing businesses to track their consumers in real-time and engage through live video and chat helping solve problems in the digital twin space that don’t even exist yet!
Try Zuant 3D yourself for FREE to unlock the digital twin potential for yourselves or you can Book a Demo to find out more.
