Digital twins and transitioning to a greener, safer industrial sector

Shivani Shah discusses how digital twins are often misunderstood and the potential to aid industrial sites in the move towards sustainability.

The co-founder and CTO of industrial software development company Samp, Shivani Shah has always been fascinated by how the world works. Moving to France from her native India to pursue a masters in AI and machine learning, she undertook a PhD at the French Nuclear Research Agency where she honed her skills in AI and big data, before having an epiphany. 

“Through this process, I developed a unique technology to apply unsupervised machine learning algorithms to extremely large datasets, especially meta-genomics data,” she told SiliconRepublic.com. “But I realised that my motivation lies in applying technology to real-life problems and I was driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the world.”

Having been an active part of the Gujarat-based business environment for years, she was motivated to launch her own deep-tech start-up, with fellow co-founder Laurent Bourgouin. Bourgouin had opened her eyes to how aging industrial facilities are struggling to transform amid a battle with outdated data and documentation. 

“As soon as I heard this, I saw the huge potential in the latest 3D AI research and how it could be applied to this problem. Together, we realised we could automatically generate a fully intelligent 3D virtual replica of industrial sites from simple 3D scans using AI.”

Real-world impact

Shah finds the term digital twins is often misunderstood. She explained, they “are not a single technology and standalone solution, but a strategic framework. One that combines and leverages multiple technologies. This can include AI, reality capture, 3D reality models and advanced web technologies which create a virtual 3D replica of an industrial site and its facilities.”  

Aiming to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, Europe has set some aspirational goals and according to Shah, digital twins could be a real game-changer in how the world could future-proof its industrial sites and transition to net zero. 

Shared reality technology, which is a collaborative digital workspace to be used by teams and external contractors, can utilise AI to connect 3D models of an organisation’s industrial assets, via scans captured on drones and smartphones, with the corresponding diagrams and blueprints. This links everything together, can be changed in real-time and is easily integrated with other systems. 

“When it comes to Europe’s net-zero strategy, there is an imperative for industrial sites in the energy sector, for instance, to transition to cleaner energy, sustainable processes and bring efficiency. By using shared reality, you have an up-to-date view of the asset and corresponding data, allowing for a reliable execution of the sustainability projects. 

“By having an interactive digital representation of all of your physical facilities, you can centralise the sustainability initiatives in one location, allowing for better collaboration and execution.” 

A safe future

She noted many industrial sites struggle with issues related to technical documents and on the ground conditions, as inaccurate information can cause accidents to occur. AI and 3D rendered models enable experts to envision a scene in real-time, allowing for greater accuracy than is often permitted by a physical walk-through of a facility.

“What’s more, site personnel can also simulate processes like ‘lockout tagout’ safely, where machines are isolated and shut down for maintenance, without real-world risks and predict what could go wrong if an asset was isolated incorrectly, for example.  

“Physical checks are still key to the process. But these advanced technologies can spot obscure risks that might be missed altogether because of incomplete information. They provide a proactive and preventative approach to various industrial” dangers, she explained. 

In light of the recent AI Action Summit in Paris, Shah noted there is significant EU focus on funding AI projects that cultivate sustainability, safety and efficiency for multiple industries. In the future, she predicts technologies in the realm of preventative maintenance, energy efficiency, industrial AI agents and real time monitoring, among others, will require reliable data, starting with the industrial sites, to go from demos all the way through to deployment. 

 “The need to modernise industrial facilities quickly and efficiently will only intensify, driven by sustainability and safety goals. In upcoming years, we will see the industry becoming entirely data-driven. Industrial sites will be smarter, safer and more efficient. The workforce will also have evolved and as of today, expect more modern ways of working, closer to the digital reality encountered in their personal lives.”

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