Unveiling the Essence of Digital Twins

Abstract

A digital twin (DT) can be seen as a tool that speeds up the process of innovation. DT provides numerous advantages by generating a real-time replica of tangible systems. These benefits include faster business processes, higher productivity, and more innovative ideas at lower costs. It is one of the most exciting new digital technologies being worked upon to provide assistance to different types of businesses to go digital and make decisions. The idea of a DT has been around for almost 20 years, but it is still changing as it is used in various fields. This chapter looks at 46 different definitions and research work of DT that have been written in the last 10 years and comes up with a single, more general definition that includes all of them. It also gives a detailed description of the DT and how it differs from other digital technologies. A case study is provided on how DT works and how it can be used, along with discussions on future opportunities of DT.