Table of Contents
- BONSYSTEMS · CYCLOIDAL TECHNOLOGY
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- References
- Bonsystems
- 🔗 Contact Bonsystems → www.bonsystems.com
A digital twin is a virtual representation of physical equipment, systems, or environments. In robotics, it can be used to represent a physical robot’s structure, motion, and operating environment in a virtual model that supports both development and operation.
A robot is a complex system in which mechanical structures, drive units, sensors, controllers, and other components must work together. Evaluating every condition using physical prototypes alone can lead to repeated fabrication, testing, and modification. For this reason, the use of virtual development environments from the early stages of robot development is receiving increasing attention.
However, results obtained in a virtual environment cannot directly replace physical hardware testing. The key practical questions are how effectively a digital twin can support robot development and what factors must be considered when transferring virtually evaluated motions to physical joint operation.
What Is a Digital Twin?
Key Summary A digital twin is a virtual representation of physical equipment or an environment that allows information from the physical and virtual systems to be examined together.
A digital twin represents physical equipment, facilities, or operating environments in virtual space. Rather than simply reproducing their appearance, it can incorporate information needed for development and operation, such as system structure, motion, equipment layout, and operating conditions.
In robotics, a virtual model of a physical robot can be used to evaluate joint range of motion, clearance from surrounding equipment, and task sequences. Because these conditions can be examined before a physical prototype is built, developers can evaluate factors that are difficult to assess from conventional design drawings alone.
However, the configuration and scope of a virtual model can vary depending on the type of robot and the purpose of development. It should therefore be understood as a development environment configured around the information and conditions that need to be evaluated, rather than as a technology implemented in exactly the same way for every robot.
Using the Digital Twin Robot in Robot Development
Key Summary Using a virtual environment alongside physical development allows robot structure and motion to be evaluated before a prototype is built.
Robot development typically involves building a prototype based on the design, testing its physical operation, and modifying components or structures as needed. A digital twin adds a virtual evaluation stage to this process.
For example, a virtual model can be used to evaluate whether a robot joint may interfere with surrounding structures or whether the robot can reach the required position within its workspace. When multiple robots or pieces of automation equipment are arranged together, the virtual environment can also be used to examine equipment placement, movement paths, and clearances.
Results obtained in a virtual environment should not be assumed to match physical performance exactly. Assembly conditions, component characteristics, floor conditions, workpieces, and other real-world variables can all affect the behavior of physical equipment.
A digital twin is therefore best understood as a tool for identifying design issues, organizing evaluation points, and examining development directions before and alongside physical testing, rather than as a complete replacement for actual hardware validation.
Use in Humanoids and Industrial Robots
Key Summary The more complex a robot’s joint structure and equipment configuration become, the more useful it can be to evaluate structure and motion together in a virtual environment.
A humanoid robot has many joints throughout its arms, legs, and torso, and these joints must move in coordination. In such systems, the movement of one joint can affect the posture and motion of other parts of the robot. Robot development must therefore consider not only individual joints but also the movement of the entire system.
In a digital twin environment, virtual data can be used to evaluate joint motion, posture changes, and the robot’s positional relationship with surrounding space or workpieces. Before a physical robot is built, the virtual model can support structural evaluation. After fabrication, it can provide a reference for comparing physical robot behavior with the virtual model.
virtual models can be used in similar ways for industrial robots and automation equipment. Evaluating robot workspace, equipment layout, workpiece movement paths, and surrounding structures in a virtual environment can help developers understand the overall automation configuration more clearly.
At sites where multiple machines participate in a single process, the operating sequence and spatial relationships between equipment are also important. A digital twin can provide a unified environment for evaluating these interactions and the overall system configuration.
Bonsystems Drive Solutions
Key Summary The Bonsystems BCSA is a robot actuator that helps translate robot motion evaluated in a virtual environment into physical joint movement.
Once a robot’s structure and motion have been evaluated using a digital twin, the next stage requires a drive system capable of executing those movements in physical hardware. In robots with multiple joints, actuators must be selected based on factors such as joint size, range of motion, required torque, and available internal space.
A robot actuator is a core drive unit that converts control commands into physical joint motion and torque. For a physical robot to reproduce movement defined or validated in a virtual environment, the actuator must be suitable for the joint structure and operating conditions.
The Bonsystems BCSA is a robot actuator designed with a thin, compact profile based on cycloidal reduction technology. Because sensors, wiring, control components, and structural elements must often be arranged together within a robot joint, actuator thickness and overall profile can significantly affect joint design and space utilization.
The BCSA supports efficient drive-system integration even within confined joint spaces and can be applied to various robot joint configurations. Its slim structure helps make efficient use of internal space while providing the torque required for physical joint movement.
In this way, the BCSA can serve as a practical drive solution when translating robot motion evaluated in a digital twin environment into physical hardware.
Key Takeaways
A digital twin is a virtual development environment that helps developers evaluate robot structure, motion, and operating conditions before physical fabrication. It can be particularly useful for examining factors that are difficult to assess from drawings alone, including joint interference, workspace, equipment layout, and movement paths.
However, a virtual model cannot fully reproduce every variable affecting physical equipment. Assembly conditions, component characteristics, floor conditions, and other real-world factors must still be validated through actual testing. A digital twin should therefore be viewed as a tool for identifying and evaluating design considerations rather than as a complete replacement for physical testing.
To execute motion evaluated in a virtual environment through physical robot joints, a suitable actuator configuration is required. Factors such as joint space, required torque, range of motion, and component layout must be considered. At this stage, a slim robot actuator such as the Bonsystems BCSA can become an important design consideration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What is a digital twin?
A. It is a virtual representation of physical equipment, systems, or environments. In robotics, it can be used to represent robot structure, motion, equipment layout, and operating conditions in a virtual model that supports development and operation.
Q2. Does using a digital twin eliminate the need for actual robot testing?
A. No. A virtual environment alone cannot reproduce every condition that affects a physical robot. A virtual model can help evaluate structure and motion before fabrication and identify what needs to be tested, but physical validation is still required.
Q3. What role does a robot actuator play?
A. A robot actuator converts control commands into physical joint motion and torque. By integrating components such as a motor and reducer, it enables the joints of robot arms, humanoids, and automation equipment to move as required.
Q4. How can a virtual model be used in the humanoid robot development process?
A. A humanoid robot uses many joints that move in coordination, so both individual joint behavior and overall posture must be evaluated together. virtual model can be used to examine joint motion, posture changes, workspace, and interaction with the surrounding environment before a physical prototype is built.
Q5. How is a digital twin different from a simulation?
A. Simulation typically focuses on analyzing system behavior under defined conditions. A digital twin generally has a broader scope, representing a physical system in a virtual environment and, depending on the implementation, connecting the virtual model with information from the physical system during development or operation.
References
• [1] Bonsystems Official Website — https://www.bonsystems.com
• [2] International Federation of Robotics (IFR) — https://ifr.org
• [3] Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA) — https://www.kiria.org
• [4] Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence (KIRO) — https://www.kiro.re.kr
