MA: Development of a Digital Twin-based concept for negotiating usage rights for data and services

Master thesis:

With the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) initiative, actors of complex systems are typically represented by their Digital Twin (1-to-1 representation of its Real Twin, especially in terms of semantics, structure, behavior, and interaction). One of the biggest drivers in the industrialization of Digital Twins and Internet of Things (IoT) is the Asset Administration Shell (AAS), aiming to standardize access and communication in the I4.0 landscape. With increasing digitization and communication in I4.0 scenarios, the definition of usage rights both for data and services is crucial. A challenging task is to reach an agreement between the parties involved.

Negotiation of usage rights using Digital Twins

In principle, there are different approaches to negotiating usage rights. A common approach from the field of data spaces (focus on data usage) enables negotiation starting from the consumer or provider. The negotiation is finalized and an agreement reached when they have exchanged the same contract [1]. In VDI/VDE 2193 Sheet 2, an interaction protocol for bidding procedures (focus on services) is proposed as part of the language for I4.0 components. Here too, communication between the consumer and provider takes place until they agree on certain conditions [2]. These negotiations require a certain form of intelligence. As Digital Twins are becoming increasingly intelligent and executing more tasks, it is conceivable that they could also be able to negotiate contracts. It is to be evaluated, to which extend this can be automized.

Figure 1: Contract Negotiation in International Data Spaces [1]

Figure 1: Contract Negotiation in International Data Spaces [1]

Figure 2: Interaction protocol for bidding procedures [2]

Figure 2: Interaction protocol for bidding procedures [2]

Goal of the thesis

This thesis aims to develop a scenario in which Digital Twins negotiate usage rights for data and services. It should be based on a generic framework that enables users to weight different negotiation parameters and include a suitable representation of the required metadata for data and services. Subsequently, the developed scenario should be implemented involving at least two Digital Twins in VEROSIM [3]. The negotiation of usage rights should conclude in the provision of data or executing services. At least one of the Digital Twins should run a service as a simulation. The generic framework shall be integrated in the Smart Systems Service Infrastructure (S3I) [4] using standard technologies such as the AAS for modeling Digital Twins and ODRL [5] for modeling digital rights.

Work packages include:

  • Getting familiar with S3I and VEROSIM
  • Literature research on contract negotiation processes with and without Digital Twins and on the derivation and transparency of metadata of services and data
  • Development of a Digital Twin-based concept for negotiating usage rights for data and services
  • Prototypical implementation of the scenario including Digital Twins
  • Validation and verification of the concept based on the prototypical implementation
  • Written documentation and oral presentation of the results

Supervisor: Bektas and Schinke

[1] https://docs.internationaldataspaces.org/ids-knowledgebase/v/dataspace-protocol/contract-negotiation/contract.negotiation.protocol

[2] VDI/VDE 2193 Sheet 2

[3] https://www.youtube.com/@VEROSIMSimulations/videos

[4] https://www.kwh40.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/KWH40-Standpunkt-S3I-EN.pdf

[5] https://www.w3.org/TR/odrl-model/