Published on June 03, 2024
Lottie and Lisa for innovation: Review of the theme day on digital twins
Companies are constantly on the lookout for new ways and solutions to cut research and development costs, reduce development times, design products more efficiently and accelerate innovation overall. This is where digital twins come into action - virtual replicas of physical objects or systems. On May 7, 2024, representatives from 16 companies visited KIT to gain insights into various areas of "Digital Twin Research at KIT" at the KIT Business Club theme day. In addition to exciting specialist presentations from current research, the guests were taken on two guided tours of the digital worlds.
One of the main advantages of digital twins is the ability to perform extensive simulations and tests without having to build physical prototypes. By creating virtual models of individual components, complete products or even systems, researchers and development teams can evaluate different design iterations, test the digital prototypes under different conditions and optimize designs early and cost-effectively before committing to costly physical prototypes and manufacturing processes. "Digital twins" are significantly changing the way research and development is done. For example, Dr. Gabriel Cadilha Marques gave insights into how digital twins are used at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) on the nano and micro scale to develop individual electronic components and their materials. In contrast, Prof. Giovanni De Carne, head of the Real-Time Systems for Energy Technologies group at the Institute of Technical Physics (ITEP), showed how digital twins can be used on a large scale for real-time simulations in power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) experiments.
During the guided tour at the Institute for Information Management in Engineering (IMI), an impressive demonstration was given in a 3D projection environment (Cave) of how digital twins can be used for simulation, training and optimization purposes for existing products and complex systems. Technical progress and the current possibilities of sensor technology are also significantly improving the quality and quantity of data, which is essential for creating a digital image that is as true to life as possible and a realistic simulation. This technology can therefore significantly change the way we design, operate and maintain complex systems in the future.
However, development using digital twins also brings with it a number of challenges, according to Prof. Ralf Reussner from KASTEL - Institute for Information Security and Reliability at KIT. For example, digital twins are usually designed and created for specific system analysis or synthesis tasks, which is why there is no "one twin". This raises the question of the consistency of the various models and twins not only with the real world, but also with each other. Reussner is researching this in the new DFG Collaborative Research Center "CRC 1608 Convide". The topics of data quality, cyber security and the integration of different systems are further examples of the challenges facing research and industry. According to Prof. Jivka Ovtcharova from IMI, the creation of uniform interfaces and standards is also one of the future challenges that must be developed jointly by science and industry. In addition, companies must invest in training the necessary skills and expertise to be able to use this comprehensive technology effectively.
Despite these challenges, the potential added value of digital twins is too significant to ignore. Martin Benfer from the wbk Institute for Production Technology is certain that digital twins will be a cornerstone of modern product and production development in the future. Guests and speakers agree that digital twins will undoubtedly play a central role in the course of Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation of companies. The virtual "double lotto" accelerates the development of new products and solutions in various industries, thereby reducing costs and promoting innovation. The theme day of the KIT Business Club offered the opportunity to approach this important topic of the future.
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