Interscale Content Hub – We all know digital twins are great for lots of different industries. But how can digital twins be used in IoT applications, technically speaking?
Yes, these complex models combine real-time data from sensors, IoT devices and other digital sources to create a detailed virtual representation of a building. But how exactly does that work?
That’s why, we’re gonna break down all the complexities here and find the answers.
Benefits of Using Digital Twins in IoT Applications
Digital twins, especially when combined with the Internet of Things (IoT), offer some huge benefits across various industries.
They give you enhanced visibility, predictive maintenance and optimised operations.
As Coorous Mohtadi says in “Industrial IoT and Digital Twins,” the digital twins are a great way to model, simulate and analyse data.
They’re really useful for getting insights into how things work in Industry 4.0.
Another big plus of digital twins in IoT is that they allow you to monitor in real time and perform predictive maintenance.
George Lawton in TechTarget whitepaper, “Using Digital Twin Tech to Solve IoT Issues,” also points out how you can use IoT sensors in physical assets to feed data into the digital twin, which gives you a constant stream of info about the asset’s condition.
For example, Xcel Energy Inc. used a digital twin app based on GE’s Predix Platform to keep an eye on how their assets and plants were performing. This led to greater efficiency and fewer manual data updates.
The digital twins and IoT also really useful for optimising performance and efficiency.
By running different scenarios and examining data from the real-world version, digital twins can spot ways to improve things.
Coorous Mohtadi shared a great example of BuildingIQ, where a digital twin of a building is used to optimise HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) strategies, leading to a 10-25% reduction in HVAC energy consumption.
In addition, digital twins help us make better decisions and manage risks by letting us test scenarios and see how decisions affect the real world without any downside.
This is especially useful in complex systems like electrical grids, where an electrical grid operator can simulate hundreds of “what if” scenarios in the cloud to make sure there’s enough energy.
Key Applications of Digital Twins in IoT
Digital twins are used in all sorts of ways in different industries, from manufacturing to smart cities.
In manufacturing, digital twins are great for tracking assets and making production lines more efficient.
As TechTarget pointed out in “Using Digital Twin Tech to Solve IoT Issues,” manufacturers use digital twins to keep an eye on and crunch the numbers on their inventory in real time, which helps them work more efficiently and accurately.
Digital twins are also used extensively in smart cities. They combine data from different IoT devices, geospatial sensors, and machine learning models to create dynamic urban models.
As Attaran et al. explain in “Digital Twins and Industrial Internet of Things,” the digital twins of cities can give us a complete picture of urban systems, including transportation, energy, water, and waste management.
This gives city planners and managers a complete picture, so they can test different scenarios, see how different policies affect things, and make data-driven decisions to maximize resource use and improve residents’ lives.
The article “New Urban Use Cases Drive Over 500 Cities to Adopt Digital Twins by 2025” by the global tech market advisory firm ABI Research says the number of digital twin deployments will be over 500 by 2025.
The transportation sector is also using digital twins to make things safer, more efficient and more sustainable.
For example, in the automotive industry, digital twins are used to test vehicle designs, predict maintenance needs, and optimise fleet management.
Volvo is a pretty good example here. As Attaran and colleagues point out in their paper, the onboard digital twins in trucks keep an eye on the vehicle’s health, predict when maintenance is needed and find the best routes, which makes things safer, more efficient and cheaper for fleet operators.
In healthcare, digital twins are used to simulate patient outcomes and make sure medical devices are working as they should.
For example, hospitals can use digital twins to keep an eye on patient data in real time, spotting potential health issues and tweaking treatment plans.
It would be a good idea to take a look at “From BIM to Digital Twins for Buildings: A Lowdown for Aussie AEC Pros,” if you want to know more about how to manage buildings.
Implementing Digital Twins in IoT Systems
If you want to implement digital twins in your IoT system, it’s good to have a systematic approach covering all the key steps.
The first step is to bring all the data together. This is where we collect data from different IoT sensors and systems and put it all together to create the digital twin.
Having all the data together is the only way to create a virtual model of the physical asset that’s accurate and comprehensive.
Next, we create a virtual model of the asset, using the data we’ve collected.
The model should be as accurate and detailed as possible, showing the physical asset’s geometry, behaviour, and interactions with its environment.
You can create the model using different tools and technologies, such as CAD software, simulation tools, and machine learning algorithms.
Next, the digital twin is kept up to date with new data from the IoT sensors, so it always reflects the physical asset accurately.
Keeping everything up to date in real time is a must if you want to keep an eye on how the asset is doing, predict when it might fail and make sure it’s working as well as it can.
Simulation and analysis are a big help when it comes to optimising operations and making informed decisions.
With digital twins, you can simulate different operational scenarios, which lets organisations test and refine processes without disrupting actual operations.
Siemens Mobility uses digital twins to test train functionality, saving millions of dollars in development costs.
Then, we move on to deployment and monitoring, where we put the digital twin into use and keep an eye on how it’s performing.
This ongoing monitoring means we can make real-time adjustments and improvements, so the digital twin stays accurate and effective.
Plus, combining digital twins with other systems like supply chain management and logistics helps to boost efficiency and effectiveness across the board.
You might want to take a look at “Digital Twins for Predictive Maintenance: Roadmap to Build a Sixth Sense,” for another implementation of digital twins.
The Role of Experts in Navigating Digital Twin Implementation
As you can see, the implementation process is pretty complex. Sometimes it can get in the way of focusing on the main task at hand.
Which is why it’s really important to have a support system in place for digital twins.
So, at Interscale, we provide custom solutions to help organisations tackle the challenges of digital twin implementation. We can help you from the first risk assessment to ongoing management and optimisation.
We’ve got a team of experts who can walk you through the whole process, making sure your digital twin projects are secure, reliable, and deliver maximum value.
We’d love to hear from you and set up a meeting. Our team is here for you 24/7 to guide you through the process and help you turn challenges into opportunities.
Or, you can get a quick overview of what we do here on our Interscale BIM Management Support page.
In Closing
The combination of IoT and digital twins is set to have a big impact on the Australian business and other industries worldwide.
This technology isn’t just about ideas that might not work – it’s about making real, practical improvements in how we manage and maintain infrastructure.
That’s why the Interscale team of experts can help you stay ahead of the curve with their insight into how digital twins be used in IoT applications.
