If you’re keeping up with the Olympics, you would have seen record-breaking swimming from athletes like Katie Ledecky, Bobby Finke, and Leon Marchand as they set new records for medals and timing. The premier sport, where races are decided by hundreds of a second, requires next-level training, perfect form, and now—sensor-based decision making; this year, nine swimmers report using digital twins to gain a competitive edge. Sports science and mathematical advancements are fascinating audiences as they watch the best of the best compete in unparalleled ways, often due to strategies that are now monitored by computers.
So what are digital twins and how do they work? And how can they be used in your business for the same record-breaking success?
What are digital twins?
A digital twin is a digital copy of a physical object, whether a person, a car, a factory—anything that can have IoT sensors hooked up to it. Even services and processes can be monitored with virtual copies. Digital twins have many benefits:
- Lowered production costs due to virtual testing and less product waste
- Faster time-to-market for production creation
- Ability to predict needed maintenance, increasing the life of resources and assets
- Increased operational efficiency, whether an athlete’s performance or faster factory operations
Interested in learning more? Hear from our thought leaders on the future of the industrial metaverse, built on digital twins.
Digital twins in your industry
Digital twins can accurately predict the current and future state of physical assets, simply by analyzing digital counterparts. This technology is widespread and flexible enough to meet the unique needs of any industry; however, some industries are using the technology more than others.
Manufacturing
The high-tech manufacturing industry dominates this technology. Manufacturers can create virtual models for specific products, examining the product under different conditions to test the best yield or uncover any manufacturing defects. Semiconductors are a great use case for digital twins due to their high cost of manufacturing and complex production lifecycles. With virtual copies, more efficient products can be designed and produced with lower costs. This predictive technology can help reduce waste in the production process.
Energy
Digital twins are also crucial for asset-heavy industries like energy, whether solar, electric, or oil and gas, where assets are in remote locations. Engineers can visualize and control thousands of underground pipes or massive gas turbines, running thousands of tests easily without enduring harsh conditions or being out in the field.
The transportation industry also uses digital twins to monitor railways, airplanes, buses, and every kind of vehicle and system. Hospitals can use them to monitor patients or specific organs, too. Buildings can be analyzed for better energy allocation. The possibilities are truly limitless.
Advanced solutions with Spotfire
To get started with this technology, you need access to advanced machine learning and statistical analysis. Learn more about how Spotfire powers industry-specific visualizations with advanced analytics to help businesses like yours predict a better future. With Spotfire, you can visualize your digital twins, set up proactive alerts for your team, run predictive analytics on the incoming data, and so much more. Several of our customers, like CAF and Siemens Mobility, are already virtually analyzing their equipment. Get started today.