Man, machine and work in a digital twin setup: a case study

TL;DR

This paper investigates how digital twins can enhance collaborative production systems by providing a virtual model for validation and control, demonstrated through an industrial case study involving human-robot assembly.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive case study on implementing a digital twin for a human-robot assembly system, highlighting its potential benefits and future research directions.

Findings

Digital twins facilitate validation and control in collaborative production.

The study demonstrates the application of digital twins in an industrial setting.

Recommendations for integrating digital twins with collaborative robots are provided.

Abstract

This paper explores the opportunities of using a digital twin to address the complexities of collaborative production systems through an industrial case and a demonstrator. A digital twin, as a virtual counterpart of a physical human-robot assembly system, is built as a front-runner for validation and control through design, build, and operation. The forms of digital twins along the system life cycle, the building blocks, and potential advantages are presented. Recommendations for future research and practice in the use of digital twins in the field of collaborative robots are given.