Self-Powered Cyber Physical Systems

14Feasibility Study of Digital Twin in Automotive Industry—Trends and Challenges

Preethesh B., Hithesh Alen D’Costa, Sohan R. Alva, Vishal H. Kanchan and Rathishchandra R. Gatti*

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Mangalore, India

Abstract

A digital twin is a cyber-clone or a cyber-representation of a physically existing real product or process that serves as its real-time digital counterpart. It is a concept formed due to the continuous evolution of computer-aided product design and engineering. The creation of digital twins results from continuous improvement in product design and engineering activities. Over the years, new product development has progressed from manual drafting to CAD/CAE. Now it is evolving toward model-based-systems engineering. The basis of any digital twin depends on the digital thread, which forms the basic design of the product it represents in the cyber world. Whenever the product requires design changes, the change in the digital thread is initiated, and the design parameters being affected are studied. Then there will be subsequent changes in the real product through engineering change orders.

The physical vehicle, the virtual vehicle twin, and the connections between these entities comprise the digital twin concept in automotive vehicles. Data that flow from the physical vehicle to the digital vehicle and information available from the digital vehicle to the physical environment are the connections ...