In industrial operations, a digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical asset, process, or system that spans its entire lifecycle. This mirror image is updated with real-time data and uses simulation, machine learning, and AI-enabled reasoning to glean insights into the operation of the real system being modeled. While the twin provides the “body” (the data structure and visualization), artificial intelligence (AI) acts as the “brain.” This identical but virtual reproduction of an entire physical system or device runs in parallel with the analogous system or device. The synergy between the two allows industries to evolve from simply seeing what is happening in their operations to predicting and optimizing what will happen next.
