Architecture of a Versatile Digital Twin with Socket-Based Communication and Azure DT

Abstract

The concept of Digital Twin (DT) has gained widespread attention due to the rapid advancement of Industry 4.0, technologies such as IoT, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence. DT is a virtual replica of a physical object or system that enables real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization of its performance. This work proposes a DT system, based on automated DT creation and flexible communication across platforms to realize tool independence and to allow interchangeability of the included web-deployment and simulation environments. We apply the approach to the gearbox assembly process in an industrial use case, using the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) as a common digital asset definition both for a simulation environment and a robot control program. The proposed approach addresses the challenges in representing real plants and enterprise processes in a DT by managing heterogeneous data sources, data types, data inconsistencies, and ensuring real-time capability for safety-critical applications.