Could (Digital) Twinning Be Winning for Aviation?

In internet meme speak, “twinning” refers to when people, places or things look the same, such as two girls wearing the same outfit, and is often paired with the phrase “twinning is winning.”

But, twinning isn’t just for millennials on Instagram as it’s found its way into the tech sphere.

The term ‘Digital Twin’ is relatively new to many of us and it wouldn’t be a surprise if some had never heard of the concept before, let alone how it might impact Aviation. 

A Digital Twin in its simplest form, really is what you would expect. It’s a virtual representation of a physical object, system or process. It’s a real-time simulation, which is leveraging artificial intelligence to effectively mirror its real-life counterpart. 

A digital twin will incorporate 3 main data points. It’s historical performance data, it’s present real-time data and expected future data. Those data points enable the digital twin to not just be replicated as a one-off but for it to update and change alongside its real-life twin. 

With a digital twin, you’re effectively looking into the future and anticipating any potential problems that may arise. This enables corrective measures to be taken ahead of further production, reducing downtime and cost as a result. 

Most importantly for Aviation, it empowers safety. Digital Twins can simulate all kinds of situations and reduce the risk of any potential accidents or malfunctions that could occur. 

Rolls Royce has made no secret about using Digital Twin technology for the manufacturing of its engines. They proudly state that the technology reduces the need to rely on probability-based techniques to determine when an engine might need maintenance or repair.

This enables them and their customers to benefit from not only predictive but also preventative engine maintenance, greatly reducing aircraft downtime and reliability. 

Given the nature of our industry and the need to continuously improve and innovate, it’s very clear that this technology is going to be pivotal to future developments in production.

What do you think? Will twinning be winning for aviation?