Digital twin technology is a virtual replica of a physical object, person, or process that can be used to simulate its behavior to better understand how it works in real life. It is a digital model of an intended or actual real-world physical product, system, or process that serves as the effectively indistinguishable digital counterpart of it. Digital twins are linked to real data sources from the environment, which means that the twin updates in real-time to reflect the original version. They also comprise a layer of behavioral insights and visualizations derived from data.

Digital twin technology allows you to oversee the performance of an asset, identify potential faults, and make better-informed decisions about maintenance and lifecycle. There are a few different types of digital twins, including product twins, which are a representation of a product at various stages of the life cycle, from initial concept design and engineering through to full functionality.

Digital twins are used across the whole manufacturing lifecycle, from designing and planning to maintaining existing facilities. They can allow for rapid iterations and optimizations of product designs, far faster than physically testing every single prototype. Digital twins can result in significant improvements in product quality by simulating the product throughout the manufacturing process, making it possible to identify flaws in the design much earlier.

The idea of digital twin technology was first voiced in 1991, with the publication of Mirror Worlds, by David Gelernter. However, Dr. Michael Grieves is credited with first applying the concept of digital twins to manufacturing in 2002 and formally announcing the digital twin software concept. NASA pioneered the use of digital twin technology during its space exploration missions of the 1960s, when each voyaging spacecraft was exactly replicated in an earthbound version that was used for study and simulation purposes by NASA personnel serving on flight crews.

In summary, digital twin technology is a virtual model of a physical object that can be used to simulate its behavior to better understand how it works in real life. It allows for rapid iterations and optimizations of product designs, resulting in significant improvements in product quality.