The digital twin is a digital version of a system. WEIVI´s digital twin technology enables optimisation and informed decision-making based on data and enables assessments of decision impacts. In this blog post, we delve into digital twin technology and its applications in business and data-driven management.
The Concept of the Digital Twin
The digital twin, based on a simple and powerful idea, describes a system in a digital environment as accurately as possible. This means we can create a digital replica of any object, whether it’s a physical device, process, or even a city.
For instance, consider a tank containing gas molecules. In its highest precision, the digital twin could describe the position, speed, mass, and composition of every molecule, down to the atoms they consist of. It’s like a freeze-frame that captures all the information about that moment. This gas tank could be a city with people as molecules, a railway network with trains as molecules, or even the structure of a virus. The key principle here is that anything observable or measurable – or even imaginable – can be described using these principles.
Mathematical Modelling Completes the Picture
Having just the digital twin isn’t enough for predicting the future. We also need a mathematical model that describes the interactions between the parts of the system. A mathematical model is essentially a set of rules governing what is possible. Models describe what happens when molecules collide, or when people interact with each other or their environment, or the rules in railway traffic that prevent two explosive-laden trains from ending up on the same tracks heading towards each other.
Executing this set of rules in a digital environment is not a straightforward task. In science, it’s called scientific computing, and in physics, solving the digital twin and its related mathematical model in a digital environment is known as computer-assisted physics. Mastering it requires a deep understanding of physics, mathematics, and information technology, enabling incredible scientific and technological breakthroughs.
Since scientific computing and mathematical modelling are complex subjects, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used bringing digital twins to life.
AI bypasses the creation of a mathematical model by using correlations to make predictions and rules. However, AI lacks a genuine cause-and-effect-based mathematical model, which can sometimes produce peculiar results, like a falling stone changing direction upward midway through its descent or a chessboard’s A1 square spawning extra rooks as needed.
At WEIVI, we have extensive experience and expertise in digital twins, scientific computing, and mathematical modelling. WEIVI exploits computer-assisted human intelligence to create the digital twin and build the mathematical model, which is transferred into the digital environment. The computer then crunches the numbers efficiently. With WEIVI, you can reliably calculate the path to optimised goals.
Evaluating the Impact of Decisions
A major strength of the digital twin is the ability to assess the effects and impact of decisions before implementing them. We can examine what happens if we take a specific action. For instance, a digital twin might model an office space, where the locations of walls and workstations, as well as doors, affect ventilation and heat distribution. The consequences of altering wall positions or airflow become visible in the digital twin, without physically rearranging the walls or workstations. In organisational management, we can assess the functional and financial effects of actions like transferring operations between departments or merging departments or creating an entirely new unit. When the outcomes of decisions are known in advance, it’s easier to make informed decisions based on facts, not guesses.
Optimisation and Efficiency
With the help of a digital twin, we can optimise solutions. Once we know which outcomes are desirable, we can employ scientific computing, with the assistance of the digital twin, to find solutions with the greatest impact. WEIVI’s railway traffic optimisation software automatically calculates, based on real-time data, how to adapt traffic and schedules to achieve maximum impact. In the most impactful scenario, trains would be minimally delayed, their movement would be energy-efficient, and capacity would be utilised most effectively. Even in major disruptions, like multiple switches freezing at a rail yard, equipment malfunctions, or severe schedule delays, the system can remain under control rather than spiraling into chaos.
A Tool for Future Prediction
Information technology’s evolution has taken us far, and it has produced the digital twin – an innovation that revolutionises future prediction and decision-making. The digital twin is an effective tool for data-driven decision-making and predicting the future. It enables informed decision-making based on data and offers versatile assessments of decision impacts. The digital twin is not just a technological marvel; it represents a step towards smarter and more efficient business. With the digital twin, you can guide your organisation towards a better future, and WEIVI is the best companion in finding the path of business wisdom over the immersive data swamp.
