Background

Many digital twinning solutions are:

Bespoke and inflexible (designed for a specific robotic system/application).
Require significant expertise to design and create.
Require multiple software tools, specialist training, knowledge of standards and where they apply.

Twinality is a new software tool developed at the University of Sheffield which overcomes these problems providing a all-in-one 3D software environment for:

Rapid assembly of sophisticated, user designed, systems using simple grab and drag tools supporting AR/VR.
Continued control, performance and safety monitoring of connected systems, and hardware pre and post-commissioning.
Communication and visual support for risks and their mitigation methods.
Communication of regulations and their role in their users system.

Technology Overview

Twinality is a software environment for the creation of safety critical industrial digital twins. The software is highly versatile and crosses proprietary boundaries using a library of industry-standardised digital twins, tools and services for safety analysis and mitigation. Sophisticated 3D environments are assembled quickly, as a blueprint process, real-world components are then connected to begin controlling and analysing their real-world process.

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Stage of Development

The team is currently in the process of exploring opportunities to commercialise the software. The technology is currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-6: Prototype demonstrations are being evaluated. The team is currently working with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC) and other industrial and regulatory partners creating specialist tools for security, safety, verification and robotics for an alpha release.

Benefits

Twinality enables users to:

Build sophisticated, safety critical, digital twins quickly, with minimal expertise or formal training.
Construct and maintain a customised environment, as a blueprint of their system, to monitor and control their systems.
Extend industry standard programming with additional, custom, safety monitors and supporting sensors.
Construct mixed environments of proprietary hardware that cannot otherwise communicate.
Use the software as an in‑house training tool, supporting understanding of hardware, control, risk and safety concepts; all customised to the user’s own system.

Applications

The software enables the user to create, test, implement, control and interrogate their cyber-physical system, using one tool. This reduces development time, downtime and uncertainty around technology changes and their implications. Standardised interfaces allow multiple proprietary technologies to be used and supported using IoT devices. This allows insight to transfer across a wide range of industrial hardware from different manufacturers (currently a major challenge when integrating systems).

Opportunity

The University is seeking:

Commercial and other development partners.
Funding/investment

Twinality: Safety Critical Digital Twins

IP Status

Seeking