Evaluation of the Method for Continuous Design of Autonomous Digital Twins

• Grant number: 25/24378-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2026
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Computer Science - Computing Methodologies and Techniques
• Principal Investigator: Elisa Yumi Nakagawa
• Grantee: Wallace Alves Esteves Manzano
• Supervisor: Rami Bahsoon
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação (ICMC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Birmingham, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/16712-1 - A Framework for Developing Autonomous Digital Twins, BP.DR

Abstract

The future of humanity depends on robust systems capable of meeting escalating computational demands, managing expanding digitized data, and leveraging advanced hardware and software solutions. In this context, digital twins-digital replicas of living or non-living entities-have emerged as a transformative technology, enabling predictive analytics, real-time optimization, and anomaly detection across domains such as manufacturing, transport, and health. Among their variants, autonomous digital twins stand out for their autonomous decision-making, proactive behavior, and goal-directed adaptation, going beyond passive monitoring to reason, learn, and act within dynamic industrial environments. Industry 4.0 has been an early adopter, benefiting from their ability to reduce downtime, enhance operational efficiency, and support adaptive infrastructure management. In his PhD project, the candidate is developing an iterative and extensible method for the continuous design of autonomous digital twins, from initial conception to real-time operational adaptation, supported by design principles, structured activities, and executable frameworks that enable runtime evolution. To complement his project, a 12-month visit to the University of Birmingham under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Rami Bahsoon will focus on evaluating the method through expert interviews, interviews, and case studies, refining the method, and producing high-quality scientific outputs that could contribute to the state of the art in the area and also to the broader Thematic Project in which this PhD is part. (AU)