What is a digital twin?

A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object, product, piece of equipment, person, process, or even a complete manufacturing ecosystem. It is created using data derived from sensors (often IoT or IIoT) that are attached to or embedded in the original object. This data allows for both structural and operational views of what happens to the object in real-time, allowing engineers to monitor systems and model systems dynamics. Adjustments can be made to the digital twin to assess the impact of real-world changes before making any changes to the original system.

For a discrete or process manufacturing, a digital twin gathers process and system data with the help of various IoT sensors (both IT and OT) to form a virtual model which is then used to run simulations, study performance issues, and generate new insights.