- Research Article
- 10.1089/gen.42.06.15
Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit
- Jun 01, 2022
- Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
- Gareth John Macdonald
Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit
In this study, we utilized digital twin technology in combination with genetic algorithms to optimize human–robot cooperation in a miniature light bulb assembly production line. First, the digital twin was used to find the robot’s motion trajectory; a digital replica of the assembly system and human was created by combining sensors that track the position and activity characteristics of the human in the workspace, which helped to prevent human–robot conflicts. Then, a multi-adaptive genetic algorithm was applied to calculate optimal ergonomics and create a worker’s movement schedule. To ensure continuous operation and no shortage of materials, the worker must observe and move to the input conveyor and material pallets to supply materials to the system. It aimed to provide more input materials for the assembly line while allowing the worker’s task to take place in parallel with the robotic assembly operation. The algorithm was designed to reduce the number of moves required to obtain materials and to ensure that the robot always had enough materials to assemble along the defined trajectory, thus, saving labor and optimizing the manufacturing process. The combination of a digital twin and multi-adaptive genetic algorithm optimized the robot’s movement path and the number of movements performed by the human operator in parallel.
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Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit
Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit
Digital Twins in Healthcare: A Survey of Current Methods
Digital twin technology has been increasingly applied in healthcare and patient well-being in recent years. This paper provides an overview of the current methods and applications of digital twins in the healthcare field. One such application is digital twins in precision healthcare, where digital twins are used to create patient-specific models to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning. Digital twins are also used in hospital/clinic management, where they help to optimize resource allocation and workflow processes. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, digital twins have been utilized to detect outbreaks and predict disease spread. In addition, digital twins have been applied in bio-manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry to improve manufacturing processes. Another application area is machine learning and modeling, where digital twins are used in machine learning, data generation, and system modeling for applications in healthcare and disease prediction. Security and ethical issues related to digital twins are also discussed in this paper, as privacy concerns and data protection remain important considerations in the application of digital twin technology in healthcare. Finally, the paper concludes by discussing the future challenges and directions of future work in this field. These include the need to develop more accurate and sophisticated digital twin models, addressing interoperability and integration issues, and further exploring the potential of digital twin technology in emerging areas such as telemedicine and personalized medicine.
Read moreTime-space intelligent management and dispatch of electric Beidou based on Beidou and digital twin technology
Aiming at the increasingly complex management and dispatching problems of power system, this paper combines Beidou precise space-time technology with digital twin system theory, and puts forward a method of constructing intelligent management and dispatching platform of power grid. The method combines Beidou and IoT (Internet of Things) sensors to form a digital twin management and scheduling platform which can perform state prediction, fault diagnosis, self-healing and other functions. Firstly, this paper analyzes the overall architecture of Beidou digital power twin system, then discusses the construction method of digital twin in power system from the aspects of digital twin modeling theory, data acquisition intelligent terminal based on Beidou, operation mode of digital twin platform, etc. Finally, the application test analysis is carried out. The research results show that the method proposed in this paper has reference value for improving the management and dispatching capability of smart grid.
Read moreSupply chain management information system project with the use of digital twins
The article focuses on the project to develop a supply chain management information system using a digital twin for the maritime transport chain. Digital twins reflect real objects and processes in a virtual environment, which enables analysis, modelling and optimisation of supply chain operations. The author describes the main stages of the project, including requirements definition, system architecture development, implementation and testing. Particular attention is paid to the benefits of using digital twins in supply chain management, such as increased efficiency, reduced risk and improved forecasting. The results of the study show the potential of digital twins to optimise supply chain management and increase the competitiveness of companies. The article presents an approach to building a new model of interaction and systematic optimisation of business processes based on digital technologies at all stages of supply chain formation, which ensures the creation of a digital twin for the maritime transport chain. In order to improve supply chains, a digital twin has been proposed, which opens up great prospects for the management of logistics processes and the exchange of information between supply chain participants. This paper presents a framework for an integral Digital Supply Chain Twin (DSCT) capable of covering the entire transport chain. The proposed information system based on the use of the DSCT provides a number of improvements throughout the supply chain, as well as the ability to model and evaluate different scenarios for the supply chain. This creates opportunities to reduce the cost of organising and coordinating transport, improve the quality of transport and logistics services and make them more reliable by identifying potential problems at an early stage. The article analyses the main information technologies that facilitate the use of DSCT as a useful and reliable tool.
Read moreAPPLICATION OF DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE
In modern medicine, novel technologies play a key role in improving the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patient health. One of the most promising innovations is Digital Twin technology, which enables the creation of virtual models of real-world objects, including human organs. This technology opens new possibilities for personalised medicine, disease prediction, and the optimisation of medical processes. Digital Twins are already actively used in various industries, such as manufacturing, aviation, and urban planning, but their potential in medicine is only beginning to unfold. They allow for creating detailed models of an individual patient’s body, contributing to more accurate diagnostics, simulation of treatment responses, and enhanced efficiency of medical interventions. This article explores the key aspects of Digital Twin medical applications, their advantages, challenges, and development prospects. Special attention is given to the technical foundations of this technology, its use in personalised medicine, health monitoring, disease prediction, and the optimisation of healthcare facilities. For the practical part, the study shows how to create a Digital Twin of a heart based on real patient data. Additionally, the study investigates a model of the heart’s Digital Twin, demonstrates its use, and illustrates how to replicate heart functionality using the Digital Twin. The study describes how a part of a Digital Twin was created using the suggested architecture and outlines how to use and extend this functionality. More than that, the study shows how to integrate artificial intelligence into the Digital Twin architecture and how artificial intelligence algorithms help create Digital Twins. The research shows how to build the Digital Twin using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, and how to choose the mathematical model for the Digital Twin. To conclude, the study defines further work, problems, and difficulties in creating the Digital Twin of the heart. The study shows the perspectives on using Digital Twins, their practicality, and real-life cases where Digital Twins can save lives. Also, the study defines the next steps for the Digital Twin creation, testing, implementation, and usage in the real-life healthcare industry.
Read moreDigital Twin Evolution for Hard-to-Follow Aeronautical Ad-Hoc Networks in Beyond 5G
The aircrafts were top of the places that disrupted the seamless connectivity requirement of 5G and beyond. The Aeronautical Ad-hoc Networks (AANETs) take the attention of both industry and academia to satisfy this connectivity requirement with the low cost, easy deployment, and continuous coverage features. On the other hand, the ultra-dynamic characteristics of AANET with unstructured topology make its environment hard-to-follow. Here, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based methodologies have an essential role in handling the management complexity of this hard-to-follow environment. However, these methodologies increase the computational complexity of aircraft due to the continuous update, convergence time, and scalability issues. At that point, we propose the utilization of the Digital Twin (DT) technology to handle the management complexity of AANET while solving the main issues of AI-based methodologies on it. The DT can virtually replicate the physical AANET components through closed-loop feedback in real-time. Therefore, this work introduces the utilization of DT technology for the AANET orchestration and, accordingly, proposes a DT-enabled AANET (DT-AANET) topology management framework. This framework consists of the Physical AANET Twin and Controller, including Digital AANET Twin with Operational Module. Here, the Digital AANET Twin virtually represents the physical environment while the operational module executes the AI-based computations on them through unsupervised learning-based training or supervised learning-based prediction. Finally, we present a case study based on Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) to show the usability of the proposed framework and support this through evaluation results.
Read moreApplication of image recognition technology in digital twinning technology: Taking tangram splicing as an example
Background: With the rapid development of digital twinning technology, the compatibility of digital twinning technology to other technologies is continuously enhanced. It is because of this that the application of image recognition technology in digital twinning technology becomes a reality. However, the key technology of digital twin, the virtual-actual mutual control technology, is not mature enough, and the image recognition technology applied in digital twin technology also has the problem of coordinate system transformation, which becomes an important link of image recognition technology in digital twin. Methods: Based on the above two problems, we take the tangram splicing project as an example to realize a virtual-actual mutual control method, so that the digital twinning technology can be well presented. Furthermore, we implement an image recognition applied to the conversion of digital twinning technology, so that digital twinning technology and image recognition have a seamless connection, allowing the application range of digital twinning technology to be further expanded. Results: In this paper, image recognition technology is successfully applied to digital twin technology by adopting the conversion between different coordinate systems and the real and virtual real time control, which makes the applicability of digital twin technology in high-tech fields such as smart factories and smart manufacturing to a higher level. Conclusions: Finally, through the tangram splicing project, the motion trajectories of the robotic arm and the tangram are consistent with the virtual robotic arm and the tangram in the computer. It is proved that our method can well combine digital twinning technology and image recognition technology.
Read moreVirtual reality-based digital twins for greenhouses: A focus on human interaction
The agricultural domain is experiencing an increasing use of digital twin technologies in greenhouse horticulture for the betterment of monitoring production. Research in this domain has started leading towards more advanced ways of visually interacting with these digital twins, and this could be by means of immersive technologies (such as virtual reality) to better allow farmers to feel a sense of presence when exploring these digital copies. Yet there are many remaining challenges for the technology’s integration and more studies are needed into user interaction; specifically regarding simulation sickness to cater for comfort during prolonged and regular use. Thus, this article documents the survey of 30 participants by means of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (before and after interaction) when using an immersive digital greenhouse twin environment. Findings indicate that users who experience simulation sickness tend to provide a lower evaluation score of the digital twin and their prior experience of gaming (on varied devices) affects the overall evaluation of the digital environment. Further, the level of playability and realism (referred to as convenience), statistically affects the end users’ level of sickness. For tracking crop growth by means of digital greenhouse twins, where prolonged user interaction may take place in a virtual environment, these are notable considerations for digital twin developers.
Read moreExploring the Role of Digital Twins in Revolutionizing Healthcare: Opportunities and Challenges
The emergence of Digital Twin (DT) technology has garnered significant attention in healthcare, providing a revolutionary approach to patient care, diagnostics, and treatment planning. Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical entities (in this case, human beings), created through the integration of real-time data collected from sensors and devices. This paper explores the potential role of Digital Twin technology in healthcare, its applications, challenges, and opportunities. We review recent studies and current implementations, focusing on the integration of digital twins for personalized care, predictive analytics, and decision-making. The research also highlights the barriers such as data privacy concerns, high implementation costs, and technological limitations. The findings point to a future where Digital Twin technology plays a central role in improving patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and the accuracy of treatments in healthcare. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions and applications for digital twins in healthcare. The purpose of this research study is to examine how digital twins can transform healthcare by going over the prospects, difficulties, and future course of their integration into healthcare systems. This study looks at the existing situation in an effort to offer insightful information about how digital twins can transform healthcare delivery and enhance patient care, while also identifying the challenges that need to be addressed for their widespread adoption
Read moreUtilizing AI-Driven 6G Medical Informatics and Consumer Electronics for Early Injury Classification and Response with a Self-Learning Healthcare Digital Twin
In the realm of proactive medical care, digital twin technology is rising to the forefront as a paradigm shift due to the combination of customised healthcare, 6G connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI). This study investigates AI-driven, 6G-powered healthcare digital twin technology, focusing on patient-centric monitoring and predictive analytics. It must clearly outline the research objectives, such as real-time health data integration, adaptive decision-making, and improved treatment personalization. The proposed methodology should describe the use of 6G-enabled ultra-reliable low-latency communication, AI models for digital twin construction, and secure data management frameworks. Improved diagnostic accuracy, fast response time to clinical emergencies, and improved resource allocation in healthcare systems were main outcomes that are presented in this abstract. The technical contributions of this work with the integration of AI, 6G, and digital twin technologies are highlighted in the end of this study, and this may support the next-generation intelligent healthcare solutions. For self-learning healthcare digital twin, a model that leverages 6G-enabled medical informatics, real-time data streams, and artificial intelligence (AI) analytics is presented in this study. This presented model may support in clinical diagnosis, and classifying damages earlier. A real-time updated digital copy of the patient was created by the suggested method by integrating multimodal data from various sources including imaging, vital signs, consumer electronic devices such as smartwatches, wearable sensor metrics, and electronic health records (EHRs). The patient physiological patterns and previous injury profiles are constantly learnt by the integration of digital twin and deep learning (DL) algorithms. This integration is effective in predicting the occurrence, kind, and severity of injuries and internal trauma, falls, cardiovascular events, and neurodegenerative insults. The digital twin and healthcare providers are connected seamlessly with 6G communication infrastructure, guaranteeing ultra-low latency and great dependability. This allows for pre-hospital and critical care settings to implement instantaneous feedback loops, as well as for remote diagnostics and adaptive clinical decision-making. From home health monitoring solutions to smartphones and wearables, consumer electronics are ubiquitous and serve as common data collectors, greatly increase access and enabling the instant collection of accurate data using a digital twin. To keep data private while training AI models on dispersed healthcare data, the architecture offers federated learning. Based on severity level, the injury types are classified by a multi-layered decision engine, and this may promote a customized, context-aware responses like alerting emergency teams, modifying treatment regimens, or demanding robotic surgical support. The AI-driven, 6G-powered healthcare digital twin revolutionizes the diagnosis of injury, and it establish a path for a precise, preventive, and predictive medicine. Furthermore, scaling efficiencies were reduced by 95.81%, while reaction times decreased to 96.88%, resulting in significant gains. This technology is particularly helpful for populations who are elderly, at risk, or located far away, as it decreases reaction time, reduces diagnostic error, and provides scalable, continuous care.
Read moreEndüstriyel Süreçlerin Dijitalleştirilmesi için Yol Haritası
Migrating the industry and society into digital area have gradually been increased in recent years. Digitalization has made our life more efficient and faster. As a result of digitalization, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, was born. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, like previous revolutions, aims to facilitate life and improve the quality of life. Two terms are especially important for digitalization. These terms are Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT). Industry 4.0 and the IoT focus on the networking and automation of devices both used human being and industry. Digitalization and IoT technologies play an important role in improving energy efficiency. Digital twin (DT) technology is one of the most important key of Industry 4.0 technologies under digitalization. DT represents a digital copy of a physical system or entity. Physical objects and DT models created interact with each other. DT technologies have a wide range from manufacturing to healthcare sectors and from maritime transportation to the heavy industry. DT provides many conveniences for industries to grow with digitalization. Meanwhile, DT draws attention with its development in the academic field. In this study, an overview of DT is presented, a DT roadmap is proposed, some algorithms emerging in the concept of DT for industrial processes are explained and a case study is analyzed. This roadmap shows different methods to be applied in order to make accurate forecasting for the future applications and sustainable manufacturing with DT. As a result, DT concept is thought to attract much attention in the near future.
Read moreTwinXR: Method for using digital twin descriptions in industrial eXtended reality applications
Digital twins (DTs) and eXtended Reality (XR) are two core technological enablers for engineering in the Metaverse that can accelerate the human-centric Industry 5.0 transformation. The digital twin technology provides a digital representation of a physical asset with data linkages for inspection, monitoring, and prediction of complex processes or systems, while eXtended reality offers real-and-virtual combined environments for human users to interact with machines. However, the synergies between digital twins and eXtended reality remain understudied. This work addresses this research gap by introducing a novel method “TwinXR” that leverages ontology-based descriptions of Digital twins, i.e., digital twin documents, in industrial eXtended reality applications. To ease the use of the TwinXR method, we publish a Unity package that allows data flow and conversion between eXtended reality applications and digital twin documents on the server. Finally, the work applies the TwinXR method in two industrial eXtended reality applications involving overhead cranes and a robot arm to demonstrate the use and indicate the validity of the method. We conclude that the TwinXR method is a promising way to advance the synergies between digital twins and eXtended reality: For eXtended reality, TwinXR enables efficient and scalable eXtended reality development; For digital twins, TwinXR unlocks and demonstrates the potential of digital twins for data interchange and system interoperation. Future work includes introducing more detailed principles of Semantic Web and Knowledge Graph, as well as developing factory-level TwinXR-compatible applications.
Read moreApproach to organizing distributed production of unmanned aerial vehicles using digital twin and multi-agent systems technologies
The research focuses on methods and software tools for decision support for the organization of distributed production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on digital twin and multi-agent systems technologies. The purpose of the work is to provide a critical review of existing approaches to the organization of distributed production of UAVs, as complex technical objects, and to substantiate an approach to building a multi-agent decision support system for the synthesis of a rational production structure based on digital twins of participants in production cooperation. The tasks include: classifying unmanned aerial vehicles according to the main features that determine their production specifics; analysing modern scientific publications in the field of distributed production informatization, multi-agent systems, digital twins and intelligent decision support; identifying the limitations of existing solutions; and proposing an approach to the organization of distributed production of UAVs using digital twins in the form of intelligent agents. The applied methods are based on system and classification analysis, generalization of modern scientific approaches to the organization of production, decision-making theory, the concept of multi-agent systems, digital twin technologies, production logistics and artificial intelligence. The following results were obtained: UAVs were classified by mass, purpose and level of autonomy, which made it possible to determine the specifics of their production and life cycle management. An analysis of scientific publications was performed, which showed the active development of areas related to the use of multi-agent systems, digital twins and artificial intelligence to address complex tasks in UAV life cycle management. It was established, in particular, that the works of recent years consider the issues of cooperative UAV production, the use of deep learning algorithms for decision-making in dynamic environments and the integration of digital twins into relevant production systems. At the same time, a number of limitations on the implementation of existing solutions were identified: insufficient formalization of business processes between production participants, weak integration of digital twins into production logistics, and the lack of self-organization mechanisms. An approach to solving the problem of effective organization of distributed UAV production is proposed. The architecture of a multi-agent decision support system for distributed UAV production is developed, which includes modules for coordination, self-organization, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of production configuration options, considering the initial risk tolerance indicator. Conclusions. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is as follows: an approach to solving the problem of effective organization of distributed UAV production is proposed, which, unlike existing ones, is based on the representation of production participants as digital twins in the form of intelligent agents, this enables the generation of multiple options and the subsequent selection of the most rational configuration for organizing distributed UAV production in terms of business process efficiency and the reduction of production risks. The research results create a basis for further integration of multi-agent technologies into real-world manufacturing platforms and the expansion of their application to other types of complex machinery.
Read moreIntegrating digital twins into smart city infrastructure: enhancing urban planning through real-time data analytics
INTRODUCTION: Digital twin technology is at the head of smart city innovations; rapid urbanization and the rising complexity of infrastructure management have driven this technology. Real time virtual replicas of the physical urban systems - digital twins - simulate urban scenarios, monitor conditions, and improve resource allocation more accurately than ever before. Rigorous empirical studies that quantify the impact of these technologies on the efficiency of urban planning are rare, curbing evidence-based policy making and large-scale adoption strategies. OBJECTIVES: This study estimates a panel fixed effects econometric model that quantifies the impact of integrating digital twins on urban planning performance of five European countries (Estonia, Germany, Portugal, the UK, Poland) over the period of 2020–2024. METHODS: Using data from the OECD Smart Cities database, the European Commission Urban Data Platform, the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, and national municipal APIs, annual data were assembled on a composite urban efficiency index, a digital twin integration score, real time data usage, per capita infrastructure investment, governance quality metrics, and population density. The model employs city and time fixed effects and addresses heteroskedasticity and serial correlation with clustered robust standard errors. RESULTS: The efficiency index of Germany improved from 53,52 in 2020 to 62,57 in 2024; Poland from 45,51 to 58,73; and Estonia dropped sharply from 70,22 to 39,44. Coefficients on digital twin integration (β₁ = 12,00) and governance quality (β₄ = 8,00) are positive and statistically significant. Real-time data use (β₂ = 0,08) and infrastructure investment (β₃ = 0,004) increase efficiency, while population density has a slight negative effect (β₅ = –0,005). CONCLUSION: This underscores the importance of the network and governance relationships of digital twins in realizing their potential. Future research should include non-European cities, apply spatial econometric techniques to account for intercity spillovers, and use dynamic panel models to assess feedback loops from past efficiency gains and their influence on future technology investment.
Read moreIntegration of digital twin technologies for state estimation in electric vehicle batteries: A review
• Examined various battery types, BMS architectures, and modelling techniques. • Explored deterministic, non-deterministic, and hybrid SOC estimation methods. • Discussed SOH estimation and RUL prediction using various methods. • Exploration of digital twin technologies and battery digital twins (BDTs) for enhancing BMS functionality. • Discussion of future research directions in battery state estimation. Accurate state estimation is fundamental for the safety, reliability, and performance of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This review highlights the critical need for precise evaluation of key battery states such as state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), and remaining useful life (RUL). It surveys the existing modelling and estimation techniques used in lithium-ion battery (LIB) systems. It explores parameter identification methods and the challenges associated with real-time monitoring and predictive diagnostics in dynamic EV environments. The paper further investigates the transformative role of digital twin (DT) technologies in addressing these challenges. By integrating battery digital twins technologies(BDTs): Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and extended reality (XR), it offers a virtual replica of the battery system. That enables continuous monitoring, predictive maintenance, and performance optimization. The review delves into the architecture, functions, challenges and future perspectives of battery digital twins (BDTs). And it emphasizes their potential to enhance traditional battery management systems (BMS) through intelligent, adaptive control. Through comparative analysis and identification of research gaps, this review provides a roadmap for future advancements in state estimation and digital twin integration.
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