Survey on open-source digital twin frameworks–A case study approach

Abstract

Digital twin (DT) technology has been a topic with academic and industrial coverage in recent years. DTs are intended to be a virtual high-fidelity representation of a physical counterpart. Its complex nature requires several components to create and run a DT, and that is why many DT frameworks have been proposed in the literature. There are also many surveys of DTs, but none that is bottom-up with concrete examples and focused on open-source software. This survey analyzes 14 open-source DT frameworks in 10 different dimensions, which are then categorized in six different groups according to their modeling and technological domain, to present the reader different options for creating and managing DT applications, and to understand potential combinations, uses, and limitations of the tools. It also presents a case study with five of the explored DT frameworks, describing the process on how the DT is set up and comparing their capabilities based on the services to be provided by the DT. Finally, it discusses advantages and limitations of the tools according to domain, requirements, and scope, relevant aspects regarding built-in simulations and data analytics, theory-to-practice transition, and advantages/disadvantages of using open-source software instead of commercial. Main limitations of the study due to its narrow niche, conclusions, and opportunities for future research regarding the potential room for improvement in terms of out-of-the-box features and services for DTs, are also shown.