How does ALTEN connect the real and virtual worlds for Industry 4.0 with low latency?

Connecting the Real and Virtual Worlds with Low-Latency Digital Twins

ALTEN, a global leader in engineering and technology consulting, partnered with 3dverse to explore how real-time, cloud-native digital twins can accelerate the transition toward Industry 4.0 and future Industry 5.0 factories. Together, they combine industrial engineering expertise with a real-time 3D operating system to connect physical production systems to persistent virtual environments—with low latency and full interoperability.

What is Mini Plant 4.0?

Mini Plant 4.0 is a reference smart factory demonstrator developed by ALTEN as part of its Smart Factory 4.0 research programme.

It is not a concept model, but a real, instrumented industrial assembly line designed to:

• Test Industry 4.0 technologies in real conditions

• Compare physical machines vs. their digital twins

• Measure the impact of smart systems on performance, ergonomics, and efficiency

In this project, 3dverse provides the real-time digital twin layer, turning Mini Plant 4.0 into a live, immersive, collaborative virtual factory.

The Challenge

Traditional factory design and operations rely on:

• Static CAD models

• Fragmented data sources

• Offline simulations

• Limited collaboration between engineering, operations, and training teams

As a result:

• Testing changes is slow and costly

• Predictive analysis is limited

• Knowledge transfer and training remain constrained to physical environments

The Solution

A Real-Time, Connected Digital Twin Architecture

Using the 3dverse cloud-native platform, ALTEN connects Mini Plant 4.0’s live industrial data directly to an interactive 3D environment.

Core Capabilities

1. Real-Time Data Integration (MQTT & OPC UA)

• MQTT streams live machine data with low latency

• OPC UA ensures standardized interoperability with industrial systems

• Physical events instantly update the digital twin

• Digital changes can be simulated and analyzed without impacting production

2. Persistent, Collaborative Digital Twin

• A single shared virtual factory accessible simultaneously by multiple users

• Real-time collaboration without screen sharing

• Persistent state: the factory remains available, up-to-date, and synchronized

3. First-Person Navigation & Immersive Access

• Navigate the digital twin using a first-person character controller

• Explore production lines as if walking inside the factory

• Accessible on PC, tablet, AR/VR, or mobile devices

• QR-code access enables instant entry into the shared environment

Impact

By connecting the real and virtual worlds, ALTEN and 3dverse enable:

• Reduced downtime through predictive analysis

• Lower costs via virtual testing before deployment

• Improved coordination across engineering and operations

• Faster decision-making with shared, real-time visibility

• Market education on digital twins, MQTT, and industrial interoperability