ABSTRACT
The SA Agulhas II is a South African polar supply and research vessel, which offers crucial research access to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean. In order to advance the scientific basis for ice-going vessels and ship-based ergonomics this vessel has been the subject of full-scale engineering measurements since 2012. The sensor infrastructure and advanced data analytics that have resulted position this ship as an ideal platform from which to explore a definitive trend in the future marine industry: digital twin technology. This is a digital, real-time, in-context, operational mime of an asset, which connects the digital and real word representations towards actionable insights. The technology readiness of the SA Agulhas II platform, is considered against the conceptual architecture required to implement digital twin technology. Furthermore, the advantages of digital twin technology are explored for stakeholders including the marine industry, the vessel owner and potential applications for advancing Antarctic science.
