#144 Science Behind Digital Twins
Subscribe to get the latest
on Thu Jun 22 2023 00:00:00 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
with Darren W Pulsipher, Rob Watts,
In this episode Darren explores the science and use cases behind digital twin technology with the principal architect of Intel's ScheneScape.
Keywords
#edge #artificialintelligence #digitaltwin #iot
Have you ever wondered how robots and machines navigate the physical world around them? It’s all about accurately representing the natural world in a digital form called a “digital twin.” A digital twin has a standard coordinate system enabling different applications to make sense of a real space or environment. It’s like a virtual version of the natural world, allowing more efficient and effective data reuse across systems.
Digital twins may not be a term we commonly use, but the concept is becoming increasingly popular, especially in the manufacturing, retail, and security industries. A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical object, process, or system that can be used to monitor and control it in real time. One example is Google Earth, a highly latent digital twin of the world. However, as technology advances, there is potential for reducing latency and creating near-real-time digital twins for more efficient control and monitoring.
The applications for digital twins are vast and varied. For example, factories can use digital twins to improve safety and optimize production lines by monitoring where products and where people are for security purposes. Digital twins can also be used in augmented and virtual reality, enabling users to walk through spaces that may be inaccessible or dangerous in the physical world. Even everyday tools like Google Maps use a form of a digital twin to provide real-time traffic updates and information on accidents.
Digital twins are becoming increasingly important in the development of machine-based AI. Just like humans need spatial awareness to make sense of the world around us, machines need digital twins to navigate and interact with the physical world. The possibilities are endless for this technology, and it’s exciting to think about how it may shape our future.
The implementation of digital twins requires the integration of multiple sensors and calibrating their data into a common representation or digital twin. This process can be complex and requires standard units to ensure consistency between different industries.
Interestingly, the gaming industry has inspired the development of digital twins due to their experience creating virtual worlds with complex physics engines. By adopting existing standards used in the gaming industry, such as the Universal Scene Description format, it is possible to develop a universal representation of physical spaces.
Digital twins also have the potential to enable closed-loop control in various applications, introducing near-real-time current rules to systems. Perhaps in the future, we will have intelligent scenes similar to those in the Iron Man movie, where one can speak to their home’s smart assistant and control devices through it. The possibilities of using digital twins seem endless, and we will likely see more of them affecting our daily lives.
Efficiently solve complex problems in various industries. Intel’s Scene Scape is a product that came from the company’s efforts to develop a vision that would enable the transformation of pixel-based units into real-world units and cameras. The product is meant to help turn sensor data into virtual models of the natural world, known as digital twins, that can be used to drive better outcomes and operational efficiencies. The technology relies on multi-modal tracking and motion modeling. It can monitor and track people, vehicles, and equipment across various use cases, including transportation, healthcare, retail, and factories.
One of the exciting aspects of Scene Scape is its ability to estimate where someone will go and the next camera they should be showing up in. This is useful when trying to cover large spaces with cameras or sensors. However, there is always an error bar on the measurement, which means different sensors may need to agree on where something of interest is. To address this, Scene Scape uses a motion model to extrapolate movements, allowing for accurate tracking and monitoring of subjects.
Overall, digital twins are a technology still in its infancy, but the potential for their use is enormous. As technology continues to improve, we will likely see more applications for digital twins and more industries leveraging their use to drive better outcomes.
Are you curious about how digital transformation can benefit you and your family? In this episode of Embracing Digital Transformation, Rob discusses the various use cases for digital tools. One exciting example he brings up is using technology to track your children. While this may seem controversial, Rob argues it is a responsible use of digital tools. Monitoring your child’s location and activity can give parents peace of mind and help ensure their safety.
However, this is just one example of countless use cases for digital transformation. Rob encourages listeners to think about how technology can improve outcomes for themselves, their businesses, and their communities. From streamlining processes and increasing efficiency to enhancing communication and delivering better customer experiences, digital tools can provide many benefits.