b'The Digital Twin | Engineer InnovationThe Anatomy of a Digital TwinA checklist to sort the digital twins from the digital sinsBy Stephen Ferguson, Siemens Digital Industries SoftwareThe Six Characteristics of a Digital Twin These simulators are often used todefines the physical shape and 1.Real Space: a digital twin must betrain crew and to refine performance.properties of the product and guides accompanied by a physical asset Even though simulators are not theits manufacture. Usually, it will consist final physical asset, they are physicalof multiple simulation models This first characteristic should bein nature, and their use informs andpredicting the assets performance in obvious. As with biological twins, aevolves the underlying virtual model.the real world. These simulations not digital twin must comprise twoIn my opinion, they satisfy this firstonly guide the evolution of the design, siblings, one of which must be acriterion.but they also adapt along with it.real-life physical asset. If you cant touch its counterpart, then it probably2. Virtual Space: a digital twin mustUnfortunately, all too often, these isnt a digital twin. include a high-fidelity digital model ofsimulations are useful only through the asset the product development process. This most obvious criterion is the oneOnce the physical asset enters the by which (from a simulation engineersAs simulation engineers, we spendmanufacturing and operational point of view) most of our so-calledmuch of our working lives building,phases, these simulation models are digital twins stop being twins. Asperfecting, and inhabiting virtualoften either archived onto a tape or simulation engineers, we pridespaces. They are our natural habitat.stored in a dark and dusty corner of ourselves on the veracity of our models.Most experts would agree that ourthe PLM database.We go to great lengths to capture all ofmodels are an essential part of the the relevant physics to make ourdigital twin.This is a wasted opportunity models accurate facsimiles of real-lifeconsidering the intellectual and products, but this alone is not enough. By definition, biological twins arecomputational effort that goes into conceived together, born momentscreating these complicated solutions. As discussed in the next section, thisapart, and often live parallel lives.In the CAE world, we have often should is a challenge rather than anThis is not, and cannot be, the casetalked about product life cycle obstacle.with digital twins. Significant physicalmanagement, in many ways digital assets are always born from a digitaltwins realize that ambition. Rather In some cases, such as aircraft,prototype, which, by necessity, willthan packing away our simulation spacecraft, racecar, or yachtexist long before the real-life asset ismodels at the end of the projects development, the results of multiplemanufactured or enters production. design phase (archived onto tape simulations are used to build adrives or put into remote storage), simulator that replicates the behaviorAt the very least, this will include thethe digital twin grants them an of the (as yet unbuilt) real-life asset.three-dimensional CAD model thatextended life. 27'