In this video chat, the inventor of the digital twin, Dr. Michael Grieves, explains the premise behind the concept.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a piece of equipment across its lifecycle. Applications differ from one digital twin to another, but data from sensors are typically used to map and analyze how the object responds to the physical world, explained Grieves, chief scientist for Advanced Manufacturing, Florida Institute of Technology.
Digital twins open up a vista of opportunities for engineers, such as modeling and simulation. “If I get my physics right, I can look at a [wider] range of scenarios than I can afford to look at when I’m dealing with physical prototypes,” he said.
Grieves, who is known for his work on product lifecycle management, did not come up with the name of his innovation, but he certainly can take credit for the technologies it inspired and the value it continues to deliver to the improvement of manufacturing processes and operations.