Table 1 Definitions of digital twins... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Definitions of digital twins

Authors	Definition	Context	Discipline
Grieves and Vickers (2017)	“A set of virtual information constructs that fully describes a potential or actual physical manufactured product from the micro atomic level to the macro geometrical level” [Pg 94]	Product life cycle management	Multidisciplinary
Bolton et al. (2018)	“A dynamic virtual representation of a physical object or system across its lifecycle, using real-time data to enable understanding, learning and reasoning” [Pg 782]	Customer Experience challenges	Service Management
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics	“A set of virtual information constructs that mimics the structure, context and behavior of an individual or unique physical asset, that is dynamically updated with data from its physical twin throughout its life-cycle, and that ultimately informs decisions that realize value” [Pg 5]	Used as a theme in call for papers on Digital Twins in Nature	Aerospace
Lee et al. (2020)	“Digital twin integrates historical and real-time data obtained from physical systems with physics-based models and advanced analytics to create digital counterparts with high integrity, awareness, and adaptability to provide predictive services to manufacturing entities” [Pg 34]	Intelligent Manufacturing	Engineering (Smart Manufacturing)
Jones et al. (2020)	“A digital twin is a digital representation of an active unique product (real device, object, machine, service, or intangible asset) or unique product-service system (a system consisting of a product and a related service) that comprises its selected characteristics, properties, conditions, and behaviors by means of models, information, and data within a single or even across multiple life cycle phases” [Pg 50]	Manufacturing	Production Engineering
Liu et al. (2021)	“Digital twin is a digital entity that reflects physical entity's behavior rule and keeps updating through the whole lifecycle” [Pg 351]	Digital twin research perspective of concepts, key technologies, industrial applications	Manufacturing Systems and Industrial Engineering
Van Der Horn and Mahadevan (2021)	“A virtual representation of a physical system (and its associated environment and processes) that is updated through the exchange of information between the physical and virtual systems” [Pg 2]	Complex Systems	Information Systems and Data Analytics
Ukko et al. (2022)	“A digital twin is defined as a digital replica of a physical entity, namely, a product, process or system” [Pg 254; 255]	Digital Twins for Organizational control	Information Technology
Fukawa and Rindfleisch (2023)	“A digital replica of a physical entity that evolves over its life cycle” [Pg 396]	Digital Twins for Innovation	Product Innovation and Management
Kowalkowski et al. (2023)	“Digital twins are the cornerstones of the enterprise metaverse, being virtual representations of physical assets, systems or processes” [Pg 292]	B2B Service	Service Innovation
Huang et al. (2024)	“A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical entity (such as a part, product, process, or system) that is constantly updated using real-time data to generate dynamic insights and inform decisions which can then be fed back to the real world.” [Pg 3]	Digital Twins in the Food Supply Chain	Logistics and Food Supply Chain Management
Katsoulakis et al. (2024)	“A virtual representation of a person which allows dynamic simulation of potential treatment strategy, monitoring and prediction of health trajectory, and early intervention and prevention, based on multi-scale modeling of multi-modal data such as clinical, genetic, molecular, environmental, and social factors etc” [Pg 2]	Digital Twins in Healthcare	Digital Medicine
Current study	“A CX digital twin is a virtual model of a service system or process that reflects real-time operations, enabling businesses to monitor, simulate, and predict outcomes, facilitating proactive adjustments to improve the experience”	CX Digital Twins	Services

Authors	Definition	Context	Discipline
Grieves and Vickers (2017)	“A set of virtual information constructs that fully describes a potential or actual physical manufactured product from the micro atomic level to the macro geometrical level” [Pg 94]	Product life cycle management	Multidisciplinary
Bolton et al. (2018)	“A dynamic virtual representation of a physical object or system across its lifecycle, using real-time data to enable understanding, learning and reasoning” [Pg 782]	Customer Experience challenges	Service Management
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics	“A set of virtual information constructs that mimics the structure, context and behavior of an individual or unique physical asset, that is dynamically updated with data from its physical twin throughout its life-cycle, and that ultimately informs decisions that realize value” [Pg 5]	Used as a theme in call for papers on Digital Twins in Nature	Aerospace
Lee et al. (2020)	“Digital twin integrates historical and real-time data obtained from physical systems with physics-based models and advanced analytics to create digital counterparts with high integrity, awareness, and adaptability to provide predictive services to manufacturing entities” [Pg 34]	Intelligent Manufacturing	Engineering (Smart Manufacturing)
Jones et al. (2020)	“A digital twin is a digital representation of an active unique product (real device, object, machine, service, or intangible asset) or unique product-service system (a system consisting of a product and a related service) that comprises its selected characteristics, properties, conditions, and behaviors by means of models, information, and data within a single or even across multiple life cycle phases” [Pg 50]	Manufacturing	Production Engineering
Liu et al. (2021)	“Digital twin is a digital entity that reflects physical entity's behavior rule and keeps updating through the whole lifecycle” [Pg 351]	Digital twin research perspective of concepts, key technologies, industrial applications	Manufacturing Systems and Industrial Engineering
Van Der Horn and Mahadevan (2021)	“A virtual representation of a physical system (and its associated environment and processes) that is updated through the exchange of information between the physical and virtual systems” [Pg 2]	Complex Systems	Information Systems and Data Analytics
Ukko et al. (2022)	“A digital twin is defined as a digital replica of a physical entity, namely, a product, process or system” [Pg 254; 255]	Digital Twins for Organizational control	Information Technology
Fukawa and Rindfleisch (2023)	“A digital replica of a physical entity that evolves over its life cycle” [Pg 396]	Digital Twins for Innovation	Product Innovation and Management
Kowalkowski et al. (2023)	“Digital twins are the cornerstones of the enterprise metaverse, being virtual representations of physical assets, systems or processes” [Pg 292]	B2B Service	Service Innovation
Huang et al. (2024)	“A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical entity (such as a part, product, process, or system) that is constantly updated using real-time data to generate dynamic insights and inform decisions which can then be fed back to the real world.” [Pg 3]	Digital Twins in the Food Supply Chain	Logistics and Food Supply Chain Management
Katsoulakis et al. (2024)	“A virtual representation of a person which allows dynamic simulation of potential treatment strategy, monitoring and prediction of health trajectory, and early intervention and prevention, based on multi-scale modeling of multi-modal data such as clinical, genetic, molecular, environmental, and social factors etc” [Pg 2]	Digital Twins in Healthcare	Digital Medicine
Current study	“A CX digital twin is a virtual model of a service system or process that reflects real-time operations, enabling businesses to monitor, simulate, and predict outcomes, facilitating proactive adjustments to improve the experience”	CX Digital Twins	Services

Source(s): Authors' own work