A team of scientists has unveiled a groundbreaking new AI-assisted digital twin model that can not only replicate real-world machines but also control and adapt to them in real-time. This innovative concept, described in a study published in the journal IEEE Access, has the potential to revolutionize how smart cities and autonomous systems operate in the future.
The new approach, termed Intelligent Acting Digital Twins (IADT), allows digital twins—digital replicas of physical objects or machines—to go beyond mere simulations. Traditionally, digital twins serve as real-time representations of physical entities, constantly updated with data to monitor their state. These models are widely used in industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and defense, where they help engineers visualize, assess, and predict the behavior of physical machines.
However, with IADT, the digital twin can autonomously control the physical machine it mirrors, making real-time decisions without human intervention. As Dr. Ahcene Bounceur, lead author of the study, explains, this innovation means that a digital twin could act independently, learning from human operators and refining its actions over time. For example, he notes, “Imagine a drone chasing an enemy aircraft. A traditional digital twin would simulate different scenarios and suggest possible moves. But with IADT, the digital twin can actually control the drone, learning from human pilots and eventually making its own decisions.”
This autonomous behavior opens up new possibilities across a wide range of sectors, from logistics and transportation to healthcare, defense, and beyond. Dr. Bounceur, from the University of Sharjah’s College of Computing and Informatics in the UAE, emphasized the potential for IADT to bridge the gap between virtual and physical systems. “By learning from humans and acting independently, IADT could be transformative in fields such as self-driving cars, smart cities, healthcare, and even disaster response,” he said.
In their paper, the research team demonstrates the viability of the IADT concept through simulations conducted using the digital twin platform, CupCarbon. Their findings show how IADT integrates virtual and physical components, creating an effective and unified framework that pushes the boundaries of digital twin technology.
One of the key applications of IADT is in the management of smart cities. As cities evolve, they will increasingly rely on vast amounts of data to optimize everything from traffic flow to public services. The ability for digital twins to act autonomously could have a profound impact on urban infrastructure, allowing systems to respond in real-time without the need for constant human oversight.
Mostefa Kara, a co-author of the study from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, notes that IADT could change the way we think about digital twins. “A true digital twin should not just mirror the real world—it should interact with it, adapt to it, and even control it. That’s what we have achieved with IADT,” he explained.
The authors of the paper envision a future where IADT eliminates the need for direct human intervention in many areas. Combining machine learning, AI, and digital twins, they argue, will lead to systems that not only follow commands but also understand their environment, make decisions, and take action in real-time. As Dr. Bounceur puts it, “The future isn’t just automation, it’s intelligence.”
This leap forward in digital twin technology could have wide-reaching implications across industries. For example, in healthcare, autonomous digital twins could monitor patients’ health in real-time and adjust treatments without waiting for a doctor’s input. In defense, autonomous drones or vehicles could adapt to combat situations without direct control from operators. Similarly, in logistics, smart systems could adjust routes and inventory management dynamically, optimizing efficiency without human involvement.
With these advancements, the team believes that the future of smart cities and autonomous systems is closer than ever. The development of IADT could transform how industries operate, enabling a new era of intelligent, responsive machines that understand and adapt to the world around them.
By Impact Lab
