Case study of connectivity of digital twins and experimental systems

One of the main usages for a digital twin is the centralization and utilization of numerical, physics, and experimental based data. While there has been a large amount of research in the definition and utilization of computer simulations, there exists a gap in research in the interaction between experimental setups and digital twins. This work focuses on an example of how an experimental setup can interact with a digital twin via an operational platform. The experimental setup for this work is a scaled 3 storey building excited with a 6-DOF ground shaker under various controlled environmental conditions. For the digital twin, a server-based operational platform is used to allow for interactions with the digital twin from any remote operation site. The work in this paper gives an example of how the digital twin and experimental setup interacts and explores the added benefits of using a digital twin in experimental research.