How to Build A Digital Twin | Digital Twin Construction Services

In business, there is cut-throat competition. This is why businesses always have to be on edge about new developments in the tech world. Presently, a major shift is being comprehended among businesses in all industries, be it healthcare, education, or the automotive industry. It is the shift to digital twin technology.

Blockchain technologies already taking hold of most business sectors, the introduction of digital twins shouldn’t be a surprise. This futuristic technology aims at creating an efficient and convenient way to move forward. But how?

Well, digital twins replicate a physical asset of the real world in the virtual space. With the right implementation, a digital twin can help test multiple scenarios, monitor performances, predict problems and optimize outcomes. For instance, in the case of an automotive manufacturing company, a digital twin of a new car model can help test designs in different weather conditions and analyze overall performance before creating a tangible model. This way it helps save time and resources.

The benefits of digital twin technology are not restricted to the automotive industry. Its use also extends to healthcare, digital twin of university, and real estate, to name a few. But creating a digital twin for any business is more complex than downloading software on a desktop. The process involves careful planning, advanced technology, and expert implementation.

So, how do you create a digital twin?

Let’s get into the details.

Building A Digital Twin - Understanding The Architecture

In order to build a successful digital twin for your business, you must first understand its function and how it meets the final objectives.

As discussed, a digital twin is a detailed and dynamic virtual replica of an object or process that exists in the physical world. The purpose of the same can be broadly classified as -

• Monitoring

• Testing

• Prediction

• Optimization

Now, in order to fulfill these objectives, a huge amount of data is required. In the case of digital twins, this data moves back and forth between the digital and the physical asset. This is referred to as the ‘bi-directional flow of data’ which basically determines the seamlessness of operations and delivery of results. The constant flow of data also ensures that the digital twin exactly replicates the physical object or program in real-time.

The purpose of understanding the operation and flow of data is to better comprehend the architecture required to achieve the same.

Primarily, the architecture of digital twin includes three aspects-

• Hardware

• Software

• Data Management Systems

These three aspects create the foundation of any digital twin technology. Let’s discuss them in detail.

Hardware

The existence of a digital twin is indebted to the advancement of the Internet of Things or IoT. With highly advanced technologies of sensors and actuators, the process of capturing/scanning the data of a physical object became easier. The collected data is then conceptualized and turned into an operational digital twin.

The IoT is the hardware that helps control the digital twin and allows an easy flow of data between the physical and the digital twin. Some other examples of hardware include network servers like edge servers, routers, and actuators.

Software

For the digital twin to exist in the virtual world and stay connected with the real world, high-tech software technologies are required. From the analytics engine and monitoring dashboards to design tools and simulation software, everything forms an essential part of the digital twin technology.

Data Management Systems

Data flow within digital twins is not as straightforward as you think. In order to maintain control, assess, manage and manipulate the data, there are many people and systems involved. These are often referred to as the middleware or threads between the data flow.

The middleware in a digital twin system generally involves all components responsible for maintaining connectivity, data integration, processing, and analytics. The more complex the process is, the higher will be the number of threads or middleware in the data flow.

Now that the three foundational elements of a digital element are clear, we can get into a step-by-step process that can help you create a digital twin.

How Do You Create a Digital Twin - Step-by-Step Process

Digital twin technology can be integrated into most businesses today. So far, the most well-known use of digital twin technology is seen in manufacturing, the hotel industry, and city planning and development. But its scope does not end here.

Your business can create a digital twin of your products or programs and take advantage of its benefits. The creation process includes the following steps-

Expert Consultation

A digital twin is an extension of the physical environment you wish to replicate. It’s a dynamic counterpart that is connected with its physical twin. There’s a huge flow of data that has to be managed and analyzed. There’s also an advanced tech stack that helps achieve visualizations, simulations, and connectivity.

It requires the genius of tech experts and developers to combine every aspect and create a successful digital twin.

Suffescom Solutions is the expert you need. Backed by years of experience in blockchain development, web3 and metaverse technologies, the company has the resources to make every vision a reality.

Defining a Layout

A layout serves as a starting point for the creation of a digital twin. It is generally created in different stages.

Design

Digital twin requires advanced technology for the successful integration of physical and digital assets while maintaining a real-time flow of data. Its role also expands to the creation of a structure that answers the following-

• What kind of information is required to maintain the lifecycle of the twin?

• Where is the information stored and how?

• Who has access to the data and how?

Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence play a major role in data-related operations. A feature-rich Cloud system with multiple functionalities is also required to process the data and run the digital twin.

Operation

Let’s come back to the 4 main objectives of a digital twin i.e. Monitoring, Testing, Prediction, and Optimization.

What you have to do is determine which one will define your purpose of creating a digital twin and in what order of priority. What will your digital twin be monitoring? What kind of predictions do you wish to make? Most importantly, which use cases do you wish to achieve?

Digital twins are use case driven. Use cases determine the level of twinning required. This can be at the product level, production level, system level or component level.

By answering such questions, the experts can coordinate and lay down the hardware, software, and middleware needed to meet the requirements of the use cases.

Generate a Digital Twin

In order to generate a digital twin, comprehensive data is required. This data includes all the information about how the physical asset, program, or system reacts to the changes in the real world, the asset’s design information, production processes, operations, and more. This information is then structured and modeled by data scientists and developers to create a virtual representation of the physical object.

Now, the data can be used to create simulations that are present-based or future-based digital twins. A present-based digital twin determines how the physical twin will react to changes caused by removing or adding elements or factors. The future-based digital twin, on the other hand, determines the performance or adaptability of the physical twin in the future.

Build Functionality

Developers can integrate multiple functionalities in the digital twin to make it more interactive or create an immersive virtual experience. The process of building functionalities will depend on the requirements of the project.

For instance, navigation nodes ease navigation in and around a digital twin of a building or museum. Similarly, interactive nodes allow end-users to control actions within the digital twin, for example, opening a door, turning on a light switch, etc.

Augmentation

Once enough data is collected, the digital twin can be enhanced for better operation.

For instance, the twinning process incorporates more digital twins, systems and complex simulations in order to create a complete picture.

Twinning is a continuous process. The digital twin is enriched using real-time data from the physical twin. Once enough data is collected, the digital twin is able to provide insight into the current performance of its physical counterpart and also highlight problem areas. And all this could be achieved without intervening in the processes. The data collected over time is comprehensive enough for the digital twin to perform on its own.

Testing and Optimization

The final step of any digital twin creation is testing. Whether it’s the digital twin of a room or a car design, the designer and developer have to test the final experience. The testing can be done to ensure an excellent user experience or to provide accurate data. The process further involves optimizations based on the testing results.

How Much Does It Cost to Create A Digital Twin?

The cost of creating a digital twin is subject to a number of factors that vary from one industry to another. Each project’s requirements are unique to its purpose and therefore the cost varies accordingly. Some of the most common factors that are considered to estimate the cost of creating a digital twin are-

• Industry (education, real estate, manufacturing, etc.)

• Type of digital twin model

• Accessibility of data infrastructure

• Digital twin software

• The complexity of the project

• Manpower required to complete your project

• Time required for the project

• Level of customizations involved

• Internet of Things

These factors can vary based on the company you choose to handle your project.

One thing to remember when investing in digital twins is that while it may seem like a huge investment, the ROI will make up for it. For example, the data of a digital twin can cut costs of resources and repairs by identifying and predicting problems.

Read More: Know About Digital Twin Software Development Cost Factors

Why Suffescom Solutions?

When it comes to futuristic technologies, Suffescom Solutions takes the top spot. Since 2011, the company has been successfully completing Blockchain, Metaverse, Web3, NFT, and Crypto-based projects.

Today, the company boasts an experience of more than 11 years of experience and has risen to be a trusted name in the sector of futuristic technologies.

Suffescom Solutions strives to accelerate the growth of businesses with top-notch features-

• Blockchain experts in Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana.

• Successfully developed 500M+ applications.

• Built 50+ blockchain projects.

• 4.8 rating on Clutch.

• Provide multiple services including the development of NFT marketplaces, crypto wallet, game development (web3, P2E, Unity, etc.), business and technology consultation, and more.

Get in touch with our experts to have a consultation about how to create a digital twin for your business today!

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