In episode 14 of the Cutting Edge Podcast, Leonard Lee discusses digital twins and puts them in the context of edge computing.
Highlights
01:14 — A digital twin is a digital counterpart that is indistinguishable from the unique or physical thing that it mirrors. The idea of mirroring is interesting because it suggests “a degree of interface between the physical thing and its digital twin.”
02:33 — There are three types of digital twins:
- A digital twin prototype
- A digital twin instance
- A digital twin aggregate
02:50 — A digital twin prototype refers to the materials, parts, and physical attributes that make up a digital twin. A digital twin instance is a virtual model of a unique asset. A digital twin aggregate is an aggregation of all digital twin instances and their data.
04:48 — Are digital twins related to edge computing? In Leonards’s opinion, they are not. Leonard says that digital twins are a “logical concept with little specificity in regard to design and implementation.” Edge computing is more about “compute models, software architecture, and frameworks” used to design, build, and distribute computing systems.”
Key Takeaways for C-Suite
06:21 — Leonard suggests that at this point, digital twins are still a work in progress, despite having been around for the last few decades.
06:55 — C-suite executives should use the term digital twin with caution as it pertains to edge computing.
