Tsinghua University researchers have proposed a comprehensive development roadmap for marine digital twins (MDT) to synchronise physical and digital worlds in real time, aiming to solve the growing complexity of deep-sea operations.
The review, published in Ocean, details a five-layer architecture designed to operate under harsh conditions where corrosion, typhoons and structural fatigue challenge traditional engineering methods. The system integrates perception, data, model, fusion and application layers to create evolving systems capable of predicting and optimising marine processes.
“The convergence of sensing, simulation, and intelligent computing is reshaping how we understand and operate the ocean,” the authors note.
Solving data fragmentation
The ocean covers 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface, yet marine engineering often relies on fragmented data that limits prediction accuracy and decision efficiency. The proposed framework addresses this heterogeneity by fusing diverse information into coherent models.
The “model layer” builds virtual environments using computational fluid dynamics and finite element methods, whilst the “fusion layer” synchronises these models with sensor feedback for immediate state inversion. This structure is supported by the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence and edge computing to ensure scalability across global oceans.
Researchers expect the technology to create “transparent oceans” that enhance carbon-neutral energy development and safeguard deep-sea operations. Case studies highlighted in the review demonstrate applications across offshore wind turbines, subsea pipelines and autonomous underwater vehicles.
By enabling early warning systems and strategy optimisation, MDT provides engineers with tools to accelerate offshore wind deployment and significantly reduce operation and maintenance costs.
