Imagine designing an innovative product and being able to create a virtual twin to do all the heavy lifting instead of doing countless expensive prototypes. Digital Twins enable product designers to turn guesswork into a precision game while making product prototypes in a cost effective manner.
As a product designer, leveraging digital twin technology allows you to break free from the stagnant spiral of “hope it works” strategy. With digital twins, the burden of creating a functional product goes away because these are not just 3D models.
Table of Contents
What Are Digital Twins Anyway?
A digital twin is a virtual version of a product, often referred to as a product’s doppelganger. They are not just static models, but simulations which evolve alongside the actual product and mimic its behavioral, performance, and idiosyncratic patterns.
The concept isn’t exactly new. Digital twin technology was used by NASA during the Apollo 13 mission solving problems 240,000 miles away. This technology is now available for everyone and is changing the way product designing is done by making it faster and more affordable.
Now, the exciting part is that digital twins can reduce your development cycles by anywhere between 20 to 50%, as well as reducing production quality issues by 25%. That’s not just improved productivity; that’s a unique advantage for you.
The Five Levels: From Basic to Beast Mode
As with everything in technology, not all digital twins will have the same characteristics. In the smartphone generation analogy, consider each level has an addition of increased power:
Level 0 (Digital Model): Basic CAD duplicates. Beautiful to the eye, but silent.
Level 1 (Digital Shadow): Your physical product has a virtual counterpart, but the data transfer is one-way. Think of it as a security camera for your design.
Level 2 (Digital Twin): Now you have dialogue between the physical product and the virtual representation. Communication is two-way.
Level 3 (Autonomous Twin): Your twin is in control of defining objectives with closed-loop control and self-optimization.
Level 4 (Self-Aware Twin): Models proactively recommend changes driven by AI. Think of it as a design consultant that never walks away.
As with everything, most people will start at Level 1 and progressively advance to Level 2. There’s no need to escalate to full Skynet on day one.
Four Ways Designers Stand to Gain
Effective Virtual Prototyping
Testing back in the day was synonymous with costly prototype creation. With the advent of digital twins, validating concepts and testing multiple scenarios before physical builds is possible. Prototyping in the physical sense can now be cut down by at least 50%. That is tangible savings on the bottom line.
Seamless Team Collaboration
Teamwork brings to mind the multitude of overlapping, sometimes conflicting, tasks that need representatives from different departments to come together as one. Thanks to digital twins, your New York-based team can now synchronously strategize with Tokyo-based designers. “It works on my machine” is no longer a statement one has to endure.
Preemptive Risk Lowering
Identifying a design flaw and being able to fix it right away boosts self-esteem. With digital twins, you are able to set realistic savings strategies that would be impossible to implement after mass production has begun.
No Compromises on Sustainability
As the world evolves, consumers are being choosier and prioritizing eco-friendliness. With the support of digital twins, it would be easy to optimize energy and material usages in the design phase.
Making Your First Digital Twin: Getting Started
On your first attempt, don’t aim to construct the Taj Mahal. Use this guide as your roadmap:
Start Small: Choose one vital aspect of your product. Create a Level 1 twin, confirm that your data flows are accurate, and then work your way up to more autonomous levels.
Phase Your Rollout: Begin with the infrastructure and integration first; then add in AI analytics and inter-system interaction.
Increasing Digital Twin skills: Acquiring skills: The technology will only be as good as the user. Take advantage of the free online modules available at the Digital Twin Hub to upskill your team in fields such as, data science, and simulation.
What Else Is There To Come:
The upcoming features of the digital twin technology are the most exciting. The most exciting features include merging AI with accurate physics in real time. Twins changing their own sensors and retraining models in real-time.
Ecosystem- wide simulating modeling is used for the intelligent network of smart products to work.
The Conclusions:
The AI-enabled analytics and cross system interaction will bring focus to the digital twin in focus that will result in improved product designing.
Resources that were once exclusively to NASA are now available to product designers looking to innovate in smarter, quicker, and more sustainable ways. The blueprint to your next innovative product is on standby, and a digital twin is waiting to assist in a streamlined build process.
I’m a technology writer with a passion for AI and digital marketing. I create engaging and useful content that bridges the gap between complex technology concepts and digital technologies. My writing makes the process easy and curious. and encourage participation I continue to research innovation and technology. Let’s connect and talk technology! LinkedIn for more insights and collaboration opportunities: