The UPSIM Consortium with its cross-domain partners identified the need for a project-specific Digital Twin (DT) definition as no perfect match exists so far. A working group developed a first UPSIM DT definition announced today.
“The Credible Digital Twin is a digital representation of a specific real world product or system of interest (Real Twin) and consists of the Digital Master (digital, model-like reproduction of the system), the Digital Shadow (measured and product data from the real product through sensors and registry) and the Credibility History (meta data of traceability and purpose, ensuring credibility of the Digital Twin by its corresponding history).
Within the „Information Factory” (IT infrastructure & software framework), the Digital Master and the Digital Shadow are processed through certain applications whose purpose can be e.g., the optimization or parametrization of the Digital Twin as well as the analysis, visualization/experienceability or validation of the Real Twin.
A command that is sent from the Information Factory to the Real Twin is called “Digital Trigger”. The Digital Trigger intervenes in the Real Twin in a controlling manner.”
Credible Digital Twin – Meta Model
The UPSIM-specific Digital Twin definition is built on three main aspects, the Digital Master, the Digital Shadow, and the Credibility History. The main difference to other existing definitions is motivated by the extension of the Credibility History, which embraces the unique documentation traceability to enrich the value of a Digital Twin, especially for reuse and cross-company collaboration.
Beyond the introduced Credible Digital Twin definition, the consortium is collecting a pool of requirements for the Digital Twin over the Product Life Cycle to make a first approach towards the utilization of a Credible Digital Twin.
By Frederik Steimann, SETLabs Research GmbH; Frank Eichenseer, iCONDU GmbH; Martin Valdivia, Technische Universität Berlin; Dr. Martin Benedikt, Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH
