Simulation models, that can mimic or replicate physical systems, are used in a wide range of industries to design, test and develop products. As well as drastically reducing production time and cost per part, they can reduce energy usage and material wastage, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Virtual Environments (VE) can be used for evaluating measurement uncertainties, while Digital Twins (DT) can be used to simulate real experiments or situations and be updated according to data from their real-world counterparts.

However, a lack of metrologically validated approaches to determine the uncertainty of the data they generate has meant measurements using simulations have not been directly traceable to the SI.

This project will test existing methods and develop approaches to metrologically validate the data from VE and DT. It will also extend the metrological range of these approaches into new environments, resulting in the development of a commercial nanoindentation platform and a traceable commercial 3D machine vision system integrated in an industrial robot.

Twelve case studies will be generated covering a range of metrological applications, including optical form measurements, electrical and flow measurements, and 3D robotic measurements. These will demonstrate the practical applicability of the developed methods and used to produce good practice guides in collaboration with industrial project partners.  
 

The new methods and tools developed will help demonstrate the reliability and trustworthiness of VEs and DTs, supporting the digital transformation within Industry 4.0 and the European Green Deal.