Page 23 - IO_magazine

Masterclass

YOUR OWN DIGITAL TWIN

At Dutch universities, a huge variety of research projects in the
area of digital twins are being realised. Even our own bodies are
a complex system. A doctor could test a treatment on a digital
twin of yourself. Completely virtual hearts are already beating
in computers and realistic computer models of, for example, the
skeleton, muscles, lungs and blood vessels have been realised.
A fast computer can retrieve the specific characteristics of an
individual from scan images. We are getting closer to treatment
based on personal characteristics instead of the properties of
drugs. Such research is being realised at the University of
Amsterdam, for example; see tinyurl.com/y282uu8w.

environmentally friendly as possi- Robot cars but by making all of them intelli-
ble? How high should the pressure gent. Each of them measures where
in the reactor be? And when in formation its immediate neighbours are, and
and how fast should you add they maintain the distance between
the limestone? The many researchers involved, each other perfectly. If one of the
nineteen of whom have been robots makes a miscalculation,
specifically appointed for the pro- things do not immediately go
‘Digital twin is an umbrella ject at the participating universities, wrong. This robustness is important
term for many different things, face considerable challenges in because if they are, for instance,
varying from a 3D drawing to developing optimal, reliable digital tasked with transporting an aircraft
a mathematical model’ twins. In subprojects, involving wing, it must not be allowed to fall
varying collaborations between and break.’
universities, progress towards the
With an old-style digital twin, Tata goals is gradually being made. More information about the
Steel designed a new reactor that For example, how do you manage DIGITAL TWIN programme:
hugely simplifies the production the complexity of data in enriched tinyurl.com/yytwu25d
of liquid pig iron: now, just a single software models? How can you
reactor is needed instead of two let these models improve a
process steps. ‘This reactor, HIsarna, control system?
is now available as a demo version.
We want to help the company make The research leader of DIGITAL
the step to production faster and TWIN is working with his group on
safer,’ says Jayawardhana. This his own subproject with robot cars.
step is precarious. If something In an NWO video, you can see these
goes wrong, the new reactor will driving neatly in formation, like
have to be stopped, and that will fighter jets or swarms of sparrows
easily cost hundreds of thousands in the sky. Jayawardhana’s proud
of euros. smile can be perceived over the
phone as he explains it. ‘We try to
let the mobile robots work together
to achieve a group goal. Not by
giving a single robot instructions,

23