Digital Twin – Digital representation of an intended or actual real-world physical product, system, or process (a physical twin) that is updated from real-time data and spans its lifecycle and serves as the effectively indistinguishable digital counterpart of it for practical purposes, such as performance simulation, predicted response to environments and aging, development of maintenance activities and development of dismantlement procedures.
In advanced applications, digital twins would also use simulation, machine learning and reasoning to support decision-making.
The digital twin begins with digital exploration. From there a digital prototype continues to lay the foundation for a full or partial digital twin.