(+ 5G Private Network & AI)
One of my clients, EUCAST Global Inc., through its Korean affiliate, sent over a demo of a Digital Twin that I thought was very cool. What you are looking at is a building that has been dimensionally scanned, along with exits, stairwells, and corridors. The Digital Twin, through its network of sensors, can detect everything from fire outbreaks to intruders. This demo is only of a fire, but a Digital Twin solution can be used to also monitor manufacturing, logistics, oil platforms, and even health care equipment deployment.
What makes a Digital Twin solution very promising for businesses is it is NOT a simulation. It is a virtual representation of a real object, like a building, and the building’s interaction with just about anything internal, as well as external. In this case, the Digital Twin has been programmed to interact with fire and rescue, and traffic patterns.
Digital Twin solutions are being adopted by businesses and cities at an ever increasing rate, but I still am of the opinion that the perfect trifecta is a 5G private network, Digital Twin, and AI. I wrote about this in the past but think this trifecta was worth mentioning again (also referred to as a three-legged stool).
There are people far smarter than me so if you want to talk about the technical side of these topics, such as FDD, TDD, BIM, and RAID, then stop reading (FN1).
I hate PowerPoints, but I like this one so much that I am inserting it below. The person that created this is a genius for dumbing things down. Wait, that’s me!
We are talking about big markets here (FN2). Around 2030, the total addressable market for 5G Private Networks is north of $41 billion dollars, Digital Twin is over $150 billion, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to be a ridiculous $1.8 trillion. I call all three the Perfect Trifecta.
PERFECT TRIFECTA (sounds better than a three legged stool)
I started to think about the Perfect Trifecta as my clients are in discussion for rolling out a total data solution:
- A 5G Private Network for the transmission of data;
- The three-dimensional visualization of a physical asset through a Digital Twin program; and
- Predictive use of the past and present data through Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning (FN3).
5G PRIVATE NETWORK (the first part of the trifecta)
I said this in a previous article (FN4):
“A private network is just that-private. Only those authorized on the system can communicate which reduces the potential of cyber threats and unauthorized breaches. Premature public broadcasting of sensitive casualty information is not recommended. Discussing counter actions to a terrorist attack on an open network is also not a good idea.”
Now with the rollout of 5G, a private network means larger data transmission, faster speed, and lower latency or data lag. Properly configured, a 5G Private Network provides scalability and flexibility, often at lower costs than charged by traditional telecom providers.
The private network market encompasses a wide range of applications across various industries including military, oil and gas, private businesses, healthcare, smart cities, government, etc. There are so many use case scenarios that if you are interested, just message me. I give only three examples or this article would get too long and boring.
- MILITARY. A leaner meaner fighting machine. The obvious use is maintenance and logistics through modeling of everything from aircraft to ships. A Digital Twin solution can provide real-time insights into performance and maintenance requirements. AI can predict maintenance issues and optimize spare parts inventory. An area ripe for Digital Twin and AI solutions is training and simulation. A virtual environment can be created for soldiers allowing advance practice of complex missions. The soldier’s actions during the simulation can also be imputed to determine, through AI, the predictive consequences. Another significant area that Digital Twin and AI solutions can enhance is Cyber Defense. Digital Twin can create virtual replicas of critical systems and networks, allowing for the testing of cybersecurity measures. AI can assist in predicting vulnerabilities before cyberattacks occur. Obviously, putting military information on a private network makes sense.
- OIL AND GAS. The industry is heavily regulated and data intensive. Traditionally, oil and gas companies would transmit information ranging from flare ups to temperature and pressure and have to pay substantial amounts of money in telco charges for the data transmission. With a private network, particularly using CBRS, there is no monthly use charge as you own the network.
- HEALTH CARE. Private networks can play a significant role in the hospitals and other medical facilities by facilitating the secure exchange of electronic health records, telemedicine services, remote patient monitoring, and medical imaging. A private network is compliant with healthcare regulations by protecting patient data, and supporting critical healthcare functions like opioid asset tracking.
DIGITAL TWIN and AI (the other two parts of the trifecta)
Digital Twin and AI are highly compatible. Imagine if, through a Digital Twin solution, you can virtually see a physical object from a remote location thousands of miles away, like a manufacturing plant, and then capture the past and present data to start to predict and optimize, through AI, the manufacturing plant operations.
Here are just two bullet points on Digital Twin and AI synergy:
- SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION. Digital Twin and AI can dynamically optimize operations based on past and present data to engage in predictive analysis and intervention. Maintenance, performance, and decision making can all be positively impacted based through combined Digital Twin and AI solutions.
- AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS. Through Digital Twin and AI solutions, autonomous systems can be developed that can make decisions, take actions, and adjust parameters in real-time.
CONCLUSION
So do you need all three together? No. But why not? Why not leverage all three to make your organization better. The point is don’t consider Private Networks, Digital Twin, and AI as separate and discrete. I have no idea who came up with this quote but; “The 3-legged stool of understanding is held up by history, languages, and mathematics. Equipped with these three, you can learn anything you want to learn. But if you lack any one of them you are just another ignorant peasant with dung on your boots.”
About the author
Gary Sumihiro is the founder of Sumihiro Investments, LLC a global strategic consulting firm. Learn more at www.sumihiroinvestmentsllc.com.
Footnotes:
FN1: I expressed in prior articles my slightly acerbic view on acronyms but in the spirit of learning: FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) and TDD (Time Division Duplex) are two different ways of sending signals using LTE/5G. One of the basic differences is FDD is faster, but generally more expensive. BIM refers to (Building Information Modeling). BIM by itself is fascinating in that it (should) take into account all facets of creating, optimizing, and managing information for a physical asset, like a building by incorporating architectural and engineering designs all the way through operations. Where BIM leaps into the future is through Digital Twin programming that builds interactive 3D models of the physical asset. RAID stands for (Redundant Array of Independent Disks). My non technical mind thinks of this as stringing together smaller and cheaper disks into one single array. I first heard of this concept when I had a bitcoin client that was running out of computing power. But that’s a story for another day.
b) https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-digital-twin-market
c) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/artificial-intelligence-ai-market-could-094500916.html
FN3: Full disclosure, I represent EUCAST Global, which is a heavily patented network solution provider that owns the IP to the hardware and software and has successfully launched its Digital Twin solution. The digital twin solution is scheduled to be launched in the US Q2 2025. I also represent nureal.ai, which is one of the first marketplace platforms for AI.
About EUCAST
EUCAST Global is an advanced wireless LTE, CBRS, and 5G telecommunication solution company. The EUCAST Global Digital Twin launch is scheduled for Q2 2025. Learn more at www.eucastglobal.com.
About nureal.ai
Leading the democratization of artificial intelligence by offering a marketplace of affordable AI programs. Learn more at www.nureal.ai.