Many of you might not know about Digital Twin, and in recent times, the industry has been buzzing about the same. So, let’s put an effort to understand what it means. Well, in simple terms, Digital Twin is a digital/virtual replica of a physical entity.
Does Digital Twin always mean a BIM Model? Not always.
BIM is an integral part of a Digital Twin, but the concept is much bigger. The functionality of a BIM Model is to replicate the physical asset along with its properties as per the level of detail. However, there are some key differences. A Digital Twin is connected with the physical world – a “digital thread”.
A digital twin is a digital model of a realistic building that collects real-time information and creates in-depth prototypes of the existing building with the help of technology gadgets like sensors, drones, lasers and other wireless technology.
Data needed in Digital Twin:
- BIM Models
- 2D models and drawings
- Schedules
- Contracts
- Construction documents (i.e., submittals, change orders, RFI’s, etc.)
- Operational data collected by the embedded sensors
- Data from Artificial Intelligence
