In the age of Industry 4.0, we worked on a project that emerged as a groundbreaking digital twin solution, transforming the way railway networks are managed. By seamlessly integrating static, spatial, and live data sources, we enabled our clients to have a proactive maintenance approach, making traditional reactive methods a thing of the past.
What Exactly is a Digital Twin?
A digital twin is a virtual replica or representation of a physical object, system, or process. It’s a digital counterpart that mimics the real-world entity in a computer-based environment. Digital twins are used in various fields, including manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, and urban planning, to better understand, monitor, and optimize real-world objects or systems. In this case, we made a digital twin of a railway network – showcasing real-time data of train traffic and conditions.
About The Project: Customized Efficiency at Your Fingertips
In this project, a customizable interface is a gateway to operational excellence. It provides real-time information and comprehensive reporting dashboards, ensuring users are always up-to-date. This solution not only enhances operational performance but also unifies existing technology investments, ensuring accessibility for all users at all times.
Our team was involved in the Industry 4.0 initiatives, Azure cloud computing, frontend development, and backend infrastructure for the implementation. We worked closely with their team to ensure seamless integration of their solution with existing systems. Moreover, we innovated by developing new features and functionality to significantly enhance both performance and usability.
Migrating Data: From PostgreSQL to Azure Data Explorer
A key challenge our team tackled when creating this digital twin was the migration of measurement data from PostgreSQL to Azure Data Explorer. This strategic move empowered our clients to handle large data sets more effectively, significantly enhancing data processing capabilities.
Displaying Geospatial Data: A Map to Future Predictions
We were tasked with managing a large volume of geospatial data stored on the digital twin platform. Our challenge was to present it in a way users would find it valuable. We decided to use a map for displaying the relevant data, which allowed users to easily visualize the state of the railway network.
Track measurements were aggregated and displayed in a user-friendly way. Based on the graphs shown in the product, customers could predict future rail wear and plan maintenance work accordingly. By performing track maintenance before any significant issues arose, they could potentially achieve substantial savings.
Cloud Management and Infrastructure: Automating for Efficiency
Our contribution extended to cloud resource management in multiple environments (using infrastructure as a Code) and the development of robust build and deployment pipelines. By automating the entire infrastructure provisioning and service deployment, we ensured the creation of functional testing environments, accelerating the release process and enhancing overall system robustness.
Conclusion: Paving the Way for Future Digital Twins
Our work on this digital twin project has allowed our clients to be a game-changer in railway network management. Our involvement in migrating data to Azure Data Explorer, managing extensive geospatial data, and automating cloud infrastructure reflects our ability to tackle complex challenges and deliver tangible results. The remarkable improvement in deployment frequency, reduced failure rates, and enhanced performance helped the client drive significant advancements in their industry. Find out more about the work we do here.