DIGITAL TWIN

Patented digital twin technology

Creating the future of
autonomous buildings

Cohesion's patented digital twin technology is the backbone of the industry-leading data insights platform. It provides access to data and insights on how on-premises or cloud systems and people interact with the building. It also enables autonomous actions that optimize building systems, such as access control, energy monitoring, HVAC, indoor air quality and more.

Our digital twin achieves autonomy by integrating with all devices and systems in the building through open and secure protocols. It then combines system data with occupant-centric data from the tenant experience features to derive truly unique and comprehensive information about buildings. These insights create actions to command building systems for real-time optimization, resulting in greater ROI.

Smart building connection system loop: from an electronic device to software, to the building

Deep dive into our data lakehouse

Our digital twin is built on a state-of-the-art data lakehouse. The lakehouse is a solution for managing data that combines elements of two different approaches:

  • The data lake: The defining features of a data lake are implied by the name — it is a relatively unstructured pool of information. Data lakes are a cost-effective way to collect and store extremely large amounts of raw data.
  • The data warehouse: When data is needed for particular purposes, it can be stored in a data warehouse. This design is a more resource-intensive option than a data lake, but it comes with the benefit of the data being structured and organized in a way that makes it easy to access and use.

Thanks to advances in computing and data storage technology, a strict separation between these two concepts is no longer necessary. With a lakehouse, information moves efficiently between these unstructured and structured storage modes. That means large amounts of data can be put to use more quickly and effectively.

Cohesion uses a digital lakehouse to capture, store and process structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data with the greatest data quality, performance, security, and governance. This foundational data architecture is what supports all of the functions and insights available on Cohesion — business intelligence, real-time data applications, data science, and machine learning.

A man walking down a wooden ramp in a building.

FAQ

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world object or process. Thanks to advances in computing it is now possible to create digital twins in contexts ranging from healthcare to manufacturing to urban planning. Engineers, scientists, and others use digital twins to better understand real-world systems and manage those systems effectively.

The creation and use of a digital twin involves answering three questions:

  • What is the real-world object or process being replicated? The creation of a digital twin begins with giving the computer extremely detailed information about what the object is and how it’s supposed to operate. In a building context, this means giving the computer the full picture of the physical structure — through blueprints, for example — and the design of internal systems ranging from heating and air-conditioning to security.
  • How is the replicated object operating in real time? Once the computer has a baseline understanding of what it’s replicating, the twin can be brought to life. This process involves using sensors and other data-collection devices to gain an extremely accurate, up-to-the-second understanding of how the real-world object or process is operating.
  • What is the digital twin telling us? A functioning digital twin will be reflecting the structure and operation of its real-world counterpart. The final step is making sure there is a sophisticated interface that allows the people managing the system to monitor, understand, and act on the information and insights provided by the digital twin.

One benefit of using a digital twin is that the extremely sophisticated recreation of real-world processes makes it easier to automate those operations and ensure that they are running properly. This capability, in turn, makes managing complex systems like modern office buildings easier and more efficient.

Cohesion’s patented digital twin technology is purpose-built for building owners  and operators to provide data and insights of how people and systems interact with the building. Cohesion Digital Twin technology collects and contextualizes millions of data points in real-time with a thorough understanding of a building’s various spaces, systems, and devices to enable autonomous actions that optimizes building systems and increases asset valuation.

Data from access control systems, elevators, occupancy sensors, air quality monitors, computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS systems), space reservation systems, vendor management systems, HVAC systems, weather, energy, and human interactions are used to create a robust data model that is the foundation for the digital twin visualizations and tools, as well as autonomous optimizations.

  • The digital twin technology measures and enhances operational efficiency and enables data-driven decision-making. ​
  • It builds flexibility and resilience into the organization’s workplace model. ​
  • Operational enhancements and experiential improvements made possible by digital twin technology can have positive impacts on tenant retention rates.​
  • It aids in benchmarking and evaluating performance over time and against peers.​
  • A digital twin enables building owners and operators to adapt to changing market conditions while increasing the value of the asset.

Digital twin technology connects to, integrates with and collects data from all IoT sensors, building operations and maintenance systems, as well as various internal and external data sources that impact building performance and the experience of its occupants. Cohesion already integrates with the majority of the leading building systems. We are also continually adding to our library, so you can be confident our technology can seamlessly connect to your building.

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