Synchronizing aeronautical Digital Twins in complex stakeholder environments via 3D scanning

Kurzfassung

Digitalization in the aviation industry is driving the transition towards climate-neutral and more sustainable aircraft. A central focus of research is the Digital Twin, a virtual representation of the physical system that continuously collects operational data during operation in order to increase efficiency and optimize maintenance. A challenge arises when different stakeholders such as manufacturers, airlines and maintenance companies create independent Digital Twins, which leads to inconsistencies and contradicts the very idea of a single Digital Twin per system. Isolated IT environments prevent the possible synchronization of information. One approach to synchronizing geometric data is the use of 3D scans. As aircraft cabins are frequently refitted, digital 3D models are often incomplete, if they are available at all. By comparing scans with the initial Digital Twin, modifications can be recorded and updated even if no original data is available. This enables precise documentation of the cabin interior and facilitates the iterative updating of the Digital Twin, which supports the planning and analysis of conversions as well as versioning of modifications.