Comparison of digital twin platforms for situation awareness

Digital twins have been studied since the early 2000s, when Dr. Grieves presented his idea for product lifecycle management. Even back then, the basic elements of digital twins were recognized: the real space, the virtual space, and a data link between them. Digital twins have evolved significantly since their inception, with the International Organization for Standardization having also published various standards related to them. Digital twins are currently utilized across multiple industrial and information technology sectors for a wide range of purposes, including modeling, monitoring, data analysis, and management. Digital twin platforms are software for managing digital twins. They offer various services, such as communication interfaces with different communication protocols, database operations, authorization, and a graphical user interface.

The goal of this study is to identify the most suitable digital twin platform for our project. During the work on the Sa4CPS project, it became evident that the platform selected for the task lacked essential features, and addressing these deficiencies led to an overly complex backend architecture. This prompted the examination and comparison of different open-source digital twin platform solutions. The objective is to compile a list of available options, identify the most developed platforms, comprehend their functional distinctions, and evaluate their suitability for the project’s requirements.

The study was conducted as a comparative case study, comprising two distinct phases. Before the study, a list of platforms was gathered from various sources, and five platforms were selected for the first phase. In the first phase, the maturity of the platforms was evaluated by utilizing a software maturity framework. Two platforms were identified as the most mature, and their functionalities were tested with a test scenario in the second phase. The study found that one platform would be suitable and migration would be possible. However, before migrating, some additional testing and decisions on the protocols used must be made.

Ultimately, the study addresses the research question, resolves the research problem, and contributes to future research and projects by providing prior knowledge and experience with digital twin platforms and their functionalities.