Motivation - Increasing networking and standardization in industry are opening up new opportunities for the uniform mapping and control of production systems. In this thesis, you will have the opportunity to help design a forward-looking digital twin framework based on industry standards that combines machine control, simulation, and monitoring. You will work at the interface between research and practice and develop solutions that can be transferred to a wide range of production machines.

Tasks and objectives -

The aim of this thesis is to develop a digital twin template (twin template) that is initially hardware-independent but optimized specifically for use with collaborative robots (cobots). When connecting to a physical robot arm, the corresponding digital twin is automatically instantiated based on this template and enriched with behavior-describing parameters and suitable models. The digital twin then provides interfaces for simulation, control, programming, and monitoring. This allows any number of digital twins of robot arms to be created that are identical in terms of structure, function, and interfaces.

To achieve this goal, you can draw on numerous existing results and proven concepts from the field of digital twins. You will also be closely involved in current research work. The work offers you exciting insights into automation systems, OPC UA, robotics, and model-driven development, as well as the opportunity to actively participate in the design of innovative solutions for Industry 4.0.

Requirements:

• Programming skills, e.g., in Python, C++, or JavaScript

• Ideally, initial experience with simulation environments or industrial communication

• Independent, structured way of working and willingness to learn new technologies