Digital Twin: A Literature Review of Concepts, Technologies, and Applications

Cutting-edge technologies are promoting the manufacturing industry to a higher level through the integration of information communication technology (ICT) and advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT), which leads to the revolution of traditional industry to intelligent industry. As a key enabling technology, digital twin technologies can effectively solve the problem of information and physical integration. Digital twin has demonstrated significant potential across various industries, garnering considerable attention from both industrial and academic sectors. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric and systematic review of nearly 9,000 publications, reconstructing DT’s historical trajectory from 1969 to 2025 through a four-stage conceptual evolution framework: Static Unidirectional Mapping, High-Fidelity Modeling, Bidirectional Interaction & CPS Integration, and Dynamic Bidirectional Intelligence. We propose a novel functional classification of DT technologies, namely visualization, digitization, dynamic simulation, and feature simulation, which reflects their lifecycle progression and multi-technology integration. Typical industrial applications are synthesized, and actionable research pathways are identified, including real-time data integration, cross-domain model interoperability, and predictive operational optimization. It clarifies some concepts and technologies that are unclear in the literature, which instructs and guides people in various industrial and academic backgrounds to develop and use digital twin properly in future.