The aim of this talk is to provide an understanding of (i) the relevance of Digital Twins, (ii) the reasons why we should buid more holistic Digital Twins, and (iii) which problems practitioners currently face when developing holistic Digital Twins. I also present current research results on how to overcome these challenges. Presentation given at the Lunch Time Seminar at JKU Linz on November 09, 2023.

1. Daniel Lehner – Institut für Wirtschaftsinformatik – Software Engineering
What‘s a Digital Twin?
And why do you need a better one?
1

2. Digitalization is Everywhere
Picture sources:https://www.mikkoikola.com/blog/2014/7/5/quantified-self-and-biohacking https://woboton.com/5-key-benefits-of-industry-40-for-factories/
https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/smart-farming-precision-agriculture https://vcloudtech.com/solutions/digital-enterprise 2
Industry 4.0
Smart Farming
Quantified Me
Virtual Enterprise

3. The Optimization Promise of Digitalization
Picture sources: https://madewithbluemchen.at/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Fragezeichen-17.png;
https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/smart-farming-precision-agriculture
geralt from pixabay.com, MR-Panda from pixabay.com
3
Sustainable Product
Development
Optimized Use of
Human Workforce
More Sustainable Products
and Processes
Answer:
Digital Twins
How to realize these promises
- efficiently
- in a scalable way

4. Digital Twins to the Rescue?
4
Physical Twin (PT) Digital Twin (DT)
How does this help realize Digitalization?
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
But only for connection to the PT
We Want More
Efficiency
Scalability
Picture sources https://woboton.com/5-key-benefits-of-industry-40-for-factories/
https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/smart-farming-precision-agriculture

5. Let‘s Build better Digital Twins!
Holistic DT
• Enables connection with PT
• Enables connection with Simulation
• Augments PT with additional functionality
5
Physical Twin (PT) Digital Twin (DT) Simulation
DT Services
Pictures from Creative Mahira from the Noun Project; Eucalyp from the Noun Project; Mr Bol from the Noun Project

6. How to Engineer Holistic Digital Twins?
6
Stack Balancing
Incubator Temperature
Management
Smart Room
1
7
3
Stack
1
Stack
2
Stack
3
Picture sources: https://madewithbluemchen.at/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Fragezeichen-17.png;

7. Engineering Holistic Digital Twins
7
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
Holistic Digital Twin
Physical Twin (PT) Digital Twin (DT) Simulation
Pictures from monkik – Flaticon; Hajicon - Flaticon
Services Monitor Planner Forecaster

8. Engineering Holistic Digital Twins
Pictures from monkik – Flaticon; Hajicon – Flaticon; Parzival‘ 1997 - Flaticon
8
Services Monitor
Problem 1:
Redundant
Specification
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
Physical Twin (PT) Digital Twin (DT) Simulation
Planner Forecaster

9. Engineering Holistic Digital Twins
9
Problem 2: Manual
Effort for Engineering
DT Services
Problem 1:
Redundant
Specification
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
Physical Twin (PT) Digital Twin (DT) Simulation
Pictures from monkik – Flaticon; Hajicon – Flaticon; Parzival‘ 1997 - Flaticon
Services Monitor Planner Forecaster

10. Engineering Holistic Digital Twins
10
Problem 2: Manual
Effort for Engineering
DT Services
Problem 3: Variability
in DT Services
Problem 1:
Redundant
Specification
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
currentPosition
targetPosition
currentAngle
moveToPosition()
grip()
release()
GripperRobot
Physical Twin (PT) Digital Twin (DT) Simulation
Pictures from monkik – Flaticon; Hajicon – Flaticon; Parzival‘ 1997 - Flaticon
Services Monitor Planner Forecaster

11. Contributions of the DT++ Platform
11
Contribution 1: Single Source of Information
• Lehner, Pfeiffer, Vierhauser, Narzt, Wortmann, Wimmer:
"AML4DT: a model-driven framework for developing and maintaining
digital twins with automationML." Proc. of ETFA (2021)
• Pfeiffer, Lehner, Wortmann, Wimmer: "Modeling capabilities of digital
twin platforms-old wine in new bottles?." J. Object Technol (2022).
Contribution 2: Common Interface for PT +
Simulation
• Lehner, Gil, Mikkelsen, Larssen, Wimmer: "An Architectural Extension
for Digital Twin Platforms to Leverage Behavioral Models." Proc. Of
CASE (2023).
Contribution 3: Automate
Architecture Integration
Services
SC-based
Planner
GA-based
Planner
Time-based
Monitor
Event-based
Monitor
RL-based
Planner
Monitoring Template Planning Template
Physical Twin (PT) Digital Twin (DT) Simulation
…
…
GripperRobot
TwinManager

12. Evaluation Results
12
Pfeiffer, J., Lehner, D., Wortmann, A., & Wimmer, M. (2022). Modeling capabilities of digital twin platforms-old wine in new
bottles?. J. Object Technol, 21(3), 3.
RQ1: Reuse Potential of DT++ Platform (Problem 1)
RQ2: Effort of service connection in DT++ Platform (Problem 2)
RQ3: Effort of architecture integration (Problem 3)
Effort 50 %
Effort 40-50 %
Initial Effort
Scalability

13. Methodology: Design Science Research
Pictures by Amethyst Studio from the Noun Project; Mohamed Mb from the Noun Project; Jono from the Noun Project;
https://madewithbluemchen.at/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Fragezeichen-17.png;
13
Environment Artifact Knowledge Base
5 magazine articles with
audience > 150k
8 papers with > 80 citations
~10 online repositories
1 PhD thesis
3 Master theses
5 Bachelor theses
Collaborations with 3 countries
implement evaluate
We are here!
Let‘s Collaborate!

14. Conclusion
• Let‘s build holistic Digital Twins
• Our Research helps Practitioners build holistic Digital Twins
• Digital Twins are awesome!
Pictures from Creative Mahira from the Noun Project
https://www.mikkoikola.com/blog/2014/7/5/quantified-self-and-biohacking https://woboton.com/5-key-benefits-of-industry-40-for-factories/
https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/smart-farming-precision-agriculture https://vcloudtech.com/solutions/digital-enterprise 14
Effort Scalability

15. Follow-Up
Interested in Digital Twins?
- „Engineering Digital Twins“ seminar: https://edt.community/past-events/
- Online Repositories of our work: https://github.com/cdl-mint
- AI5Production: https://ai5production.at/
Interested in Collaborations?
- Contact me: daniel.lehner@jku.at
- Contact our institute head: manuel.wimmer@jku.at
15
https://memegenerator.net/instance/68353822/this-is-sparta-meme-let-the-discussion-begin