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In IEC Smart Cities Systems Committee we are working on a definition from our perspective. Our draft is:
Digital Twin
formal, explicit, computer-readable and computer-executable digital representation of an object or system that allows a computer to understand that object or system
Note 1
Digital twins can be made of material objects and systems (house, city, human, electrical distribution system etc.) and of immaterial objects (process, project plan, etc.)
Note 2
Digital twins can be primary, when the digital representation is developed before the physical object or system is built to help in the design or construction of that object or system. Or they can be secondary, when they are developed to represent an object or system that already exists in the physical world.
Note 3
A digital twin of an existing object or system is created from data gathered from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, with scientific and social-science modelling, machine learning and other advanced analytics applied to replicate the behaviour of that object or system, supporting decision making.
Note 4
A digital twin of an existing object or system is more than just a model: it must have a two-way connection with that object or system and should provide dynamic as well as static representations of that object or system. Data needs to flow between the physical twin and the digital, enabling insights and creating the opportunity for positive interventions within the physical twin.
Clearly Note 4 has some “should”s in it, so we need to correct this!