Digital Twin in the IoT Context: A Survey on Technical Features, Scenarios, and Architectural Models

Digital twin (DT) is an emerging concept that is gaining attention in various industries. It refers to the ability to clone a physical object (PO) into a software counterpart. The softwarized object, termed logical object, reflects all the important properties and characteristics of the original object within a specific application context. To fully determine the expected properties of the DT, this article surveys the state-of-the-art starting from the original definition within the manufacturing industry. It takes into account related proposals emerging in other fields, namely augmented and virtual reality (e.g., avatars), multiagent systems, and virtualization. This survey thereby allows for the identification of an extensive set of DT features that point to the “softwarization” of POs. To properly consolidate a shared DT definition, a set of foundational properties is identified and proposed as a common ground outlining the essential characteristics (must-haves) of a DT. Once the DT definition has been consolidated, its technical and business value is discussed in terms of applicability and opportunities. Four application scenarios illustrate how the DT concept can be used and how some industries are applying it. The scenarios also lead to a generic DT architectural model. This analysis is then complemented by the identification of software architecture models and guidelines in order to present a general functional framework for the DT. This article, eventually, analyses a set of possible evolution paths for the DT considering its possible usage as a major enabler for the softwarization process.