Real-time virtual reality visualization and control for digital twin applications in Industry 4.0

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) aims to transform manufacturing processes through the use of technologies like the internet of things, cyber-physical systems, and artificial intelligence. Digital twins -virtual replicas of physical systems- emerged as powerful tools for monitoring, optimizing, and controlling Industry 4.0 operations. This paper explores applying virtual reality (VR) technology for real-time visualization and control of digital twin applications in Industry 4.0 cyber manufacturing environments. I present the development and implementation of a VR twin environment for interacting and controlling of a 3D printer. The system features a custom Unity 3D software architecture with VR libraries, providing a realistic low-latency experience for navigating and visualizing real-time data such as pressure charts, live video feeds, and position data of 3D printer head. It also enables interacting with physical machines via their virtual counterparts, such as using a virtual on-off switch for the 3D printer. Through evaluation of hardware selection and software design decisions, the paper contributes novel insights into the use of VR twins in Industry 4.0 applications. It also explores integration of generative AI with the VR twin, which opens novel research directions for predictive simulations, what-if analyses, and intelligent decision support systems.