Digital Twins
"Digital Twinning is winning?" Yes, the Digital Twin is no longer a buzzword anno 2024. Such technological developments (think Internet of Things or IoT and Artificial Intelligence or AI) have become indispensable in the professional landscape. But what exactly do all these terms mean? And above all, how can Digital Twins make the construction industry smarter and more efficient?
What exactly is a Digital Twin?
Digital Twin technology, also called Digital Twin, is a digital representation of so-called "physical objects. When supported by Internet of Things (or IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (or AI), a Digital Twin can be automatically updated based on adjustments in the real world. Digital Twins are actual copies of physical objects that provide information about the properties and state of the object. This information may include physical orientation such as shape, position or movement. But often it also involves insight into other states, interactions and updates.
Digital twins offer a not-to-be-underestimated, analytical advantage in Building Information Modeling (BIM) activities. By collecting data from various sources, including IoT devices, and integrating it into a 3D model, construction teams get a clear picture of every component in a building. Thus, thanks to the use of Digital Twins, "BIM models" are evolving into "living," automatically updated representations of the physical buildings and structures they represent.
Digital Twins and other commonly used terms
To understand the added value of Digital Twins, it is helpful if you are familiar with certain terminologies. Let's see which ones they are, and how they benefit the construction industry:
