The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical devices that can share data with each other without needing human involvement. These devices aren't just limited to computers or machinery; they can be anything with a sensor and a unique identifier (UID). The main aim of IoT is to create devices that can report on their own activities and communicate with each other (and users) in real time.
The proliferation of IoT devices has meant that many industries can optimise their operations, enhance efficiency, and collect valuable data for analysis and decision-making, leading to advancements in areas such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and transportation - all of which can be managed and monitored remotely.
In large settings like manufacturing plants, we frequently find a lot of IoT sensors. However, these sensors often operate independently and are not integrated in a way that makes them easily understandable for the workers on the ground.
Integrating digital twins with IoT sensors effectively de-siloes this data by creating a unified 3D dashboard that offers a comprehensive view of all plant processes.
Digital twins complement IoT as a monitoring or decision making support tool by offering a dynamic digital replica of physical entities, allowing businesses to simulate scenarios, monitor systems in real-time, and test changes virtually, thus enhancing decision-making and risk management.
How Treedis Integrates IoT
If you would like IoT sensors to be connected to your digital twin, the process is very straightforward:
1. Treedis obtains access to the API of the intended IoT provider.
2. Treedis retrieves the desired data from the API and integrates it into the digital twin.
3. The user has the discretion to determine the preferred representation of the IoT data, which can be achieved through various methods such as tags, Grafana visualisation, and more. This customisation process entails an open discussion between Treedis and the user.
4. The user can subsequently access the integration via Treedis' IoT dashboard within the workspace by connecting their API Key. The data will be accessible through a public link and within the platform itself.
As Treedis tours are compatible across three modes - desktop, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) - users can access the data in multiple formats, thereby enhancing interaction and usability.
Pre-existing Integrations You Can Leverage
Treedis has vast experience with integrating all sorts of IoT devices into our digital twins. Some of the integrations which we have already completed, and which you can gain access to, include:
1. The AWS IoT Twinmaker integration
The Twinmaker serves as a dashboard for connecting multiple IoT sensors. The dashboard is a 2D representation, and when combined with a Treedis integration users can have a virtual representation with all of their different sensors in one place. You can read more about the use case for this integration in our case study.
Treedis has seamlessly integrated Kisi access control, allowing users to remotely manage facility access through sensor-controlled doors accessible via the digital twin of the facility.
Rhombus offers live stream security footage, enhancing remote monitoring capabilities by enabling users to observe facility ingress and egress. Additionally, by integrating Rhombus and Kisi within Treedis, users can identify individuals entering the site and manage access permissions accordingly, granting or denying entry as needed.
4. AVEVA Pi System integration
AVEVA PI System is a data management solution tailored to address the unique challenges of industrial environments.
After integrating with the AVEVA PI System, Treedis connected multiple sensors to one tag in the digital twin, showing data like flow, temperature and more of different plant equipment.
Getting Started
To access IoT integrations, you must be a Treedis Enterprise user. Pricing varies based on the integration and its level of complexity. We recommend scheduling a call with one of our experts if you're considering proceeding with such an integration.
Click here to schedule a call!