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Virtualizing Reality with Digital Twins: A Game Changer?
Humans have dreamt for generations of teleporting. Now, this dream could be coming closer to a reality, at least in some key ways. This is because this is what digital twins essentially provide: a real-time data connection between things based on real-world objects. By using digital twins, you can monitor, control, and modify the parameters of a specific part installed in a factory on the other side of the world.
In this interview, Ismo Olkkonen, co-founder and CEO of the Finnish company Twinverse, dives into the technical side of digital twins, how they can be implemented in the manufacturing industry, and whether they can also be applied to humans.
Supertrends: Could you introduce yourself and explain what your company does?
Ismo Olkkonen: I’m the co-founder and CEO of Twinverse. We are based in Finland, and our company provides reality model -based solutions. This means that our digital twins are based on reality capture technology, and our 3D models are highly accurate both visually and dimensionally.
Supertrends: For those who are new to this technology, what's a digital twin?
I.O.: Digital twins are digital replicas of the real world systems and environments. They reflect the characteristics of their physical counterparts as accurately as possible. Additionally, they can provide location-based information that is not visible in the real world. In the industrial context, they are digital representations of systems and assets that can be used to monitor, interact with, and control their real-world counterparts in real-time, regardless of location. They can also be used for simulating different situations without affecting real-world systems and assets.
Supertrends: What tools are required to create a digital twin? What technologies are involved in this process?
I.O.: The first thing to do is, of course, get the 3D model of the object or environment. This can be done either by using a CAD model, creating the model with a drawing tool, or using reality capture. Then, the model needs to be optimized for easy online use. Depending on the use case, a tool for modifying or taking advantage of the model data may also be required. On top of that, we usually need to enrich the model with extra information. We also need to create control functionality for the equipment, and it might be necessary to restrict user rights, as the digital twins are meant for collaborative use.
Supertrends: How do you ensure the accuracy and real-time synchronization between the digital twin and its physical counterpart?
I.O.: The answer to that depends on what is meant by “accuracy.” The current reality capture technologies provide very good model accuracy. Data accuracy, on the other hand, depends on the sensors and other data sources. Real-time synchronization depends on data transfer and handling speed, and the data processing requirements. It also depends on the amount of data required to be handled.
Supertrends: How do digital twins integrate with emerging technologies like AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning?
I.O.: IoT systems may be connected to a digital twin to allow real-time monitoring of different processes. The data may come directly from the sensors or be pre-processed somehow to make it more understandable. AI, on the other hand, can be used to analyze both the model itself and the data added to it. In the case of the model, AI can detect different text signs, objects, and those kinds of things. Regarding machine learning, I don't think it can be applied much to the model itself. It's more related to the data integrated with the 3D model.
Supertrends: How can your product impact the manufacturing and process industries?
I.O.: We make visually and dimensionally very accurate 3D models for asset management, change planning, and training. Asset management is our primary focus, and there we connect the asset information to real-world assets using our model. Our basic technology is photogrammetry, and we always use it when we make our models. With it, we can automate the mapping of the information in the asset management system to the real-world model.
Supertrends: You also have some presence in the real estate sector. Is the approach similar? How can digital twins be used in this sector?
I.O.: Actually, we are not active anymore in the real estate sector. But originally, we were focused on it as well. We realized that we couldn’t replicate the use cases we were covering in the manufacturing and process industries, where we could provide value to the customer.
Supertrends: Which other areas of implementation are you pursuing?
I.O.: Our current focus areas are the manufacturing and process industries. It is here where we have seen many opportunities and significant customer interest.
Supertrends: How expensive is it to create and implement a digital twin in a given activity?
I.O.: That’s not an easy question to answer. It depends on the size, complexity, and amount of data that needs to be integrated. For example, a simple production line might cost a few tens of thousands of euros for the entire project, including the 3D model, data integration, and final implementation.
Supertrends: Can it be considered a cost-effective technology, or are we not there yet?
I.O.: Technology-wise, everything is already developed, so there's basically nothing more needed on that front. It's more a question of use cases and business-case calculations to determine the value provided by the technology.
Supertrends: What industries have been most successful in adopting digital twin technology, and why?
I.O.: The manufacturing industry was the first to start using this technology. It began with CAD models of individual machinery and equipment being used for building digital twins. Equipment manufacturers started providing digital twins to their customers for their machinery. The concept is expanding to cover the whole factory and manufacturing process. From a technology perspective, it could also apply to the real estate sector, but there hasn’t been much interest in the BIM models created in the building construction process.
Supertrends: Can they be applied to humans? If so, what can be achieved by creating one?
I.O.: I don't think I'm the right person to answer that question. We are not building any human digital twin . But I don't see why not. Many sensors are already available to monitor human physiology, so that information could be mapped onto a digital twin of a human. But that’s a completely different story. Would it be more like an avatar application where people can meet each other in a metaverse environment? That will have to be answered.
Supertrends: What are the security concerns associated with digital twins, especially when it comes to sensitive data?
I.O.: From the manufacturing industry's point of view, there's a lot of sensitive data involved. Customers are very concerned about providing that information. First, security measures need to be at a high level so a factory owner can trust the use of their data on a cloud server. That's the first step. And from there, you can start using them in digital twins.
There are, of course, different measures to mitigate security concerns. You can either implement everything on the same model or keep the 3D model in an open environment while storing sensitive data on your own servers, ensuring only a connection between the model and the data. With the second option, the data is not transferred anywhere, or at least it's not visible to unauthorized users through the 3D model.
Supertrends: There’s currently a lot of hype concerning AI-powered innovations. Do you think this sector is currently overrated? Will it live up to the expectations?
I.O.: I would say that the sector is really overrated. The expectations are too high at the moment, as is common for all new technologies. First, there’s huge hype because people don't really know what the new technology provides and how it can be applied. Then, after some time, they start understanding how it actually works and how it can be used. I'm pretty sure that the same will happen with AI.
Supertrends: What's the biggest challenge you are facing right now? What’s the major area of improvement you have identified?
I.O.: Maybe the biggest challenge is to find the right use cases for our customers. It's not a question of the technology itself, but more about how it can provide value to customers. How does it fit into their current processes? What kind of changes does it require in the existing processes? That’s the big challenge. Customers need to see a real benefit before implementing it, as it always takes resources and, of course, it’s not free to even start testing new technologies.
Supertrends: What’s poised to be the next major step forward, innovation-wise, in the digital twin technology?
I.O.: We believe digital twins will evolve to be more based on reality-captured models of real-world objects and environments, making them faster and easier to produce than drawing the 3D model manually. Of course, a CAD model provides a good basis for building a digital twin, but the problem is that it becomes outdated very soon. CAD models lack detailed real-world features and especially the context, resulting in a simplified representation of the environment.
Supertrends: How do you picture the digital twins market in 20 years?
I.O.: It’s quite clear that the market is growing rapidly. Twenty years is a long time to forecast, but I imagine there will be a parallel digital world where people can meet using digital twins and do things not possible in the real world. The downside is that if people spend more time in a metaverse environment, they may reduce their face-to-face interactions, which is not positive.
Supertrends: Why should someone invest in digital twins?
I.O.: They make many things much easier. You don't need to travel to the physical factory site just to check some details. Instead, you simply use your own browser, and can immediately see how it looks at the factory. This is of course relevant only for those who don't work at the factory. Those already there can check things themselves. But it saves a lot of traveling for those who aren’t there.
Also, if the layout needs to be changed or equipment installations need to be planned, that can be done using a 3D model of the environment. There are a lot of things where digital twins or 3D models can help customers. They can be very useful when onboarding new employees, for example, or when familiarizing subcontractors who are coming to do installations at the site. Everything can be done beforehand and remotely, and that’s game-changing.
The text is a transcript of an interview conducted on 7 October 2024. The interview was conducted as part of Supertrends' 'Interviews with Experts' series. Please note that the transcript may have been lightly edited for editorial reasons.
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