Digital twin technology in agriculture: prospects for use

The technology of digital twins (DT) is still insufficiently widespread in agriculture. The introduction of an adequate digital twin model will reduce costs in the development, implementation and maintenance of agricultural machinery. The main problem in the development of digital twins in agriculture is the high need for resources: from the stage of designing a laboratory prototype to pilot and field testing of agricultural object prototypes. To reduce the cost of resources in the production of samples from an idea to a series and their further use throughout the entire service life, the authors proposed a technology of a virtual test site for testing digital samples of agricultural machines (equipment/parts). Digital twins used in agriculture are developed taking into account the exchange of information between the digital twin and the physical object. Thus, the adequacy of the digital twin is ensured in the real-time mode of changing its parameters. This feature helps achieve maximum correspondence of the physical object of the digital copy. Using the generated big data and artificial intelligence, it is possible to develop systems that, depending on changes in the parameters of a physical and digital object, automatically change the functioning parameters of units / parts / machines to reach their greatest efficiency. Using the example of a livestock farm and robotic milking, the authors consider possible ways of using the DT technology. The article proposes the introduction of a method of interaction between a digital twin and a physical object in laboratory and field tests. The developed technology of digital twins projects a digital shadow and ensures a two-way connection between the digital center and the physical object being tested. The presented concept of the virtual test site is promising for conducting virtual tests of agricultural machines, products, technologies, and systems.

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