A device twin is a virtual representation of a physical device that reflects its current state, configuration, and relevant operational data. The digital representation is connected to the real device so information such as temperature, location, battery level, performance, or operating status can be updated as conditions change. This creates a digital counterpart that can be monitored without directly interacting with the physical equipment.
For example, an organization managing thousands of industrial sensors can use device twins to track individual devices, identify abnormal behavior, and understand their operational history from a central system. Device twins are particularly useful in IoT, industrial automation, connected vehicles, and remote equipment management. Related concepts include digital twins, IoT, device management, telemetry, device identity, and predictive maintenance.
