Digital Twins: Transforming the Infrastructure Industry for a Smarter, Sustainable Future
Publish Date: September 25, 2023With the advancement of technology, the infrastructure industry is about to undergo a significant transformation with the implementation of Digital Twins. These virtual copies of physical assets, systems, and networks have the potential to transform the way infrastructure is designed, constructed, and operated. This will usher in a new era of more innovative and sustainable infrastructure.
At its core, a Digital Twin is a highly authentic and dynamic model that accurately replicates any infrastructure, from bridges and roads to energy systems and service networks. It provides real-time simulation, monitoring, and analysis capabilities beyond static representations. This technology optimizes performance, predicts behavior, and takes proactive measures to prevent failures.
The Growth Trajectory
The digital twin market has experienced tremendous growth, with an estimated increase from USD 10.1 billion in 2023 to USD 110.1 billion by 2028, showcasing an impressive CAGR of 61.3%. [1] This remarkable expansion highlights how the industry acknowledges the significant impact digital twins can make.
The Digital Twin Advantage
Digital twins are poised to address long-standing complexities within the infrastructure sector. The initial wave of change came with Building Information Modeling (BIM), which made infrastructure design and construction more collaborative and efficient. Infrastructural BIM models facilitated project evaluation, environmental impact assessment, and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Digital Twins Extend the Potential: Digital twin technology takes the capabilities of BIM to new heights. By integrating intelligent sensors and IoT devices, infrastructure BIM models evolve into “living” systems that constantly communicate with the real world. This bridge between the physical and virtual realms empowers infrastructure professionals to manage various aspects, from design to operation, with unparalleled precision.
Enhancing Sustainability: One of the standout advantages of digital twins is their ability to harness data from drones, LiDAR scans, and aerial mapping to assess project impacts and enhance sustainability. Real-time data from intelligent sensors connected to physical assets enable predictive modeling, allowing for experimentation with improvements without real-world testing.
Optimizing Maintenance and Repair: Digital twins offer interactive feedback and predictive capabilities, enabling infrastructure professionals to optimize maintenance and repair programs. Critical issues can be identified and addressed before they escalate, reducing on-site inspection time and costs. Engineers can virtually access assets, conduct checks, and perform analyses from desktops.
A New Dimension with Digital Twins: Traditionally, infrastructure management relied on complex engineering tools, CAD software, and manual processes, often in 2D formats. Digital twins introduce a new dimension, offering data-rich, augmented, and virtual reality views. Utilities, for example, can access real-time data via the cloud, reaching the spatial-temporal insight level.
Streamlining Processes: Digital twins streamline processes by replacing manual methods that require physical travel for network inspections. As the workforce undergoes generational shifts, these twins preserve institutional knowledge and empower staff to operate efficiently in a virtual environment. Augmented reality experiences become more accessible, facilitating training, asset construction, inspection, and replacement planning.
Enhanced Safety: Digital twins improve safety by comprehensively understanding assets without exposing personnel to danger. Combining IoT with digital twins allows for remote rendering and inspection of assets, safeguarding human health and life.
Unlocking External Expertise: Access to digital twins facilitates on-demand problem-solving by external experts. Troubleshooting becomes more accessible, with remote guidance enabling faster service restoration. The power of knowledge extends across space, reducing the need for specialized in-house expertise.
Although digital twins offer numerous advantages for infrastructure, there are still many challenges that can discourage even the most enterprising professionals. Choosing the right technologies for generating a digital twin is crucial. Additionally, it’s essential to consider the difficulties related to data acquisition, updates, information accessibility, multi-user collaboration, and more. This is why choosing a reliable partner like YASH Technologies is necessary.
Why YASH?
The potential for digital twins in the future is fascinating. As technology progresses, we can expect even greater integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, allowing digital twins to adjust and learn from new data sources. YASH Technologies is well-equipped to offer Digital Twin development services to different clients. We have even developed an internal prototype for a Wind Turbine model that can forecast maintenance needs, identify irregularities in wind turbines, deliver real-time monitoring on the dashboard, handle alerts, and make decisions based on signals without human intervention while remotely managing the system. For more information, connect with us at info@yash.com.
Pankaj Kampli
Regional Vice President
Pankaj Kampli has more than 17 years of experience in end-to-end sales and a demonstrated history of working in the IT industry. Manages C-level relationships and has delivered value for multiple global clients in Manufacturing, Lifesciences, Healthcare/Medical Devices, and Energy & Utilities. Pankaj is a thought leader in various areas, including digital transformation, modernization, IOT, automation, inventory distribution, revenue management and product management.
