
Ask HN: What Is 'Digital Twin'? - redff0000
Marketing materials say a digital twin is a digital representation of a thing or process.<p>What does that mean in practical terms? What are the practical uses? How is this different from an asset management system? Is it some novel concept or just meaningless marketing hype?
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mdorazio
I can answer from the manufacturing side only. In manufacturing, "Digital
Twin" refers to having a fully-digital version of your manufacturing line
modeled and running on a computer. In most cases this takes the form of a kind
of dashboard where you can see on a screen (or screens) exactly what is going
on with your physical line at any time. So you have the physical, real-world
line on your factory floor and you have its "digital twin" on the computer.
This is very useful for real-time monitoring and performance improvement. For
example, if an assembly station is starved of parts it needs, rather than
having to wait for a line supervisor to go to the station, see what's wrong,
then go notify the logistics people, your digital twin would immediately show
a red indicator with a reason and action can be taken immediately (or
prevented if you've got things setup properly for predictive).

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noomerikal
Gartner marketing hype

