Digital twins are revolutionizing industry by providing a safe and efficient environment to test new technologies, enabling companies to accelerate innovation and stay ahead of the curve.
Virtual Spaces, Real Results: How Digital Twins Are Revolutionizing Industry
Manufactured and shipped goods are the backbone of our society, and companies around the world are relying on warehouses and factories to get them there. To keep pace with this demand, innovators are turning to digital twins – virtual replicas of real spaces that include technology, people, and processes.
Simulating Safety and Efficiency
Digital twins allow factories and warehouses to test new technologies without risking human workers’ safety. By simulating sensors, robots, and people in a virtual environment, companies can train operators, deploy robots, and introduce new manufacturing technologies with confidence. “You can simulate everything,” says Amit Goel, director of product management for autonomous machines at Nvidia. “Sensors, robots, people, machines – you can even train your A.I. agents.” This approach is not only safer but also cheaper and faster than traditional testing methods.
Unlocking Innovation
Digital twins are particularly useful in tasks like supply chain optimization, autonomous manufacturing, and introducing new technologies. Companies like Kalypso offer services that include 3D modeling on Nvidia’s Omniverse platform and the Isaac Sim robotics simulation platform. This enables them to test features like ray tracing, which simulates how light behaves in the real world, providing a more realistic simulation experience.
The Business Case
While building digital twins can be expensive due to the computing power required, the benefits are undeniable. Companies can ask questions like “What are the safety implications of having 50 robots in a room instead of 20?” without putting workers at risk. Digital twins also enable companies to optimize their supply chains and reduce costs.
Addressing the Talent Gap
However, building digital twins is not just about technology – it’s about people. The biggest challenge lies in finding talent with the right mix of skills: robotics, automation, computer science, controls engineering, and mechanical engineering. According to Kalypso’s Leo Moran, “It’s a very multi-disciplinary job.” As institutions like Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering and Rochester Institute of Technology recognize, mechatronics engineering is still catching up with the technology industry’s needs.
A New Era for Industry
Digital twins are transforming the industrial sector in profound ways. By providing a safe and efficient environment to test new technologies, companies can accelerate innovation and stay ahead of the curve. As Nvidia’s Amit Goel puts it, “You can simulate everything” – and that’s exactly what’s happening in the world of digital twins.
