< Back to previous page

Publication

The Digital Twin concept and its role in reducing uncertainty in synchromodal transport

Book Contribution - Book Chapter Conference Contribution

Transparency and information exchange are important parts of synchromodality that
contribute to better overview of options when tackling delays, dynamic switching, and handling
of unexpected events that affect delivery lead-times and costs. The most challenging aspect
when making decisions in a complex adaptive dynamic system, is the ever-changing
environment as we introduce more flexibility which may lead to more unpredictable outcomes.
This paper presents 2 simple illustrative cases to asses different transparency levels and the
adaptive behavior of assets; 1) a static case where assets do not have the ability to respond
proactively to disruptive events, and 2) a dynamic case where assets have the ability to query
their environmental context and exchange information. The severity of the events is captured
by probability distribution functions by deploying Monte Carlo simulations to showcase the
potential benefits of the Digital Twin concept in a synchromodal context. The links between
current Digital Twin applications and synchromodal transport are discussed in order to spark
a new wave of reducing uncertainties in dynamic environments. Lastly, the paper sheds more
light on how to connect closed virtual simulations with the real physical system.
Book: Proceedings of the 6th International Physical Internet Conference
Pages: 101-114
Number of pages: 14
Publication year:2019
Keywords:Digital Twin, Synchromodality, Uncertainty, Monte Carlo, Simulation, GIS, agent-based computational modelling
Accessibility:Open