Next Generation Digital Twins for the Enterprise（企業における次世代デジタルツイン）

Digital Twin technology is by no means a new concept, and in fact, the first recorded use of a digital twin being deployed was by NASA, which started experimenting with the technology in the 1960s. During the early phases of space exploration, NASA needed to be able to simulate the working conditions of spacecraft, which could not be examined in-person, and hence made models for the Apollo 13 mission to help troubleshoot operational issues. Digital Twins have evolved considerably since then and are now used mainly by large engineering firms to create virtual replicas of large and expensive industrial assets such as engines and turbines. Doing so has led to large productivity gains in areas such as product development and maintenance in industries such as manufacturing and energy.

Digital Twins Are Evolving by Incorporating New Technologies, Creating New Use Cases

New technologies are being incorporated into modern versions of digital twins, which are both increasing the sophistication of digital twins and allowing them to be deployed in a variety of new industries. As seen in the exhibit below, the first generation of digital twins was mostly focused on information mirroring, and a typical example would be to make a 3D model of a prototype which would be cost effective for engineering and R&D functions. The second generation of digital twins incorporated CAD and 3D printing, which allowed manufacturers and heavy industry companies to simulate the performance of large and expensive equipment such as boilers and large engines. Starting from about 2015, the use of sensors made digital twins considerably smarter as information could be collected and monitored in near real time as, for example, jet engines with connected sensors could monitor and then simulate the future performance of an individual jet engine. Going forward, XR (AR, VR & MR) services will play an increasing role in digital twins as employees will be able to observe a real-time digital twin in a virtual environment in industries such as smart cities and transportation. Looking further out, AI will make digital twins more intelligent, and digital twins of human beings in areas such as healthcare and social networking will become commonplace.