Digital Twin: applications in Automatic Control

Abstract

One of the most attractive and currently booming technologies that is rapidly developing is the Digital Twin (DT). It is well known as an enabler for Industry 4.0. In both the scientific and industrial community, the concept, the technology and the applications associated with it, are generating more and more controversy. There is still a wide variety of definitions of the same concept. There does not seem to be a common understanding of the term in the literature. It is used differently in different disciplines. Model-based simulation has long been a common tool for design in an initial planning phase, but not during the working time of the designed system. This paper aims to provide a historical review of this concept. While many reviews of existing literature focus mainly on the manufacturing industry, this paper will focus on the applications of digital twins in the field of automatic control.