Lilly Cutaia

TMC

The Soul of Simulation: A Human-Centric
Approach to Digital Twins

Bio.
Lilly Cutaia joined TMC in 2021 and is an active member of TMC’s SE business cell.
She is an ASEP certified Systems and Simulation Engineer with a background in
Computer Engineering, Automation and Control Systems. Moreover, she is an
INCOSE member with nearly five years of experience in the aeronautical sector.

Driven by a deep curiosity and a need for innovation, she focuses on helicopter
Digital Twins and next-generation flight training devices, acting as the bridge
between digital environments and real aircrafts. Her recent research focuses on
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies for defining simulation
architectures, while her daily practical work encompasses hands-on process tailoring
and modeling. Crucially, she tailored and manages the Configuration Management
process for a multi-program Rotorcraft Digital Twin, ensuring the integrity of all the
simulation environments under her responsibility. Additionally, she drives the
end-to-end systems engineering stream for the fast prototyping of innovative
rotorcraft features from requirements definition to closed-loop validation on an
FNPT system.

The increasing complexity of modern systems frequently leads to the development of Digital Twins (DTs) aimed at supporting their lifecycle. However, without a rigorous design and development process, these twins often prioritize technical completeness at the expense of practical usability. This paper promotes a human-centric design approach that places the needs and experiences of end-users at the foundation of DT development, while ensuring the twin fully satisfies its primary functional purposes.
This methodology first identifies the core objectives of the simulation, then ensures that the DT is shaped by real human workflows and needs across all roles, including operators, maintainers, integrators and testers.
A Systems Engineering framework executed via MBSE techniques is employed to formalize the twin’s Logical Architecture models and to determine which system elements should be simulated and at what level of detail, thereby avoiding both over and under-engineering malpractices. This human-centric framework produces DTs that are technically reliable, intuitive, sustainable, and supportive of human decision-making: all achieved by realistically addressing the needs of those who interact daily with the simulation environments, while always considering the ultimate DT’s purposes.
This approach promotes improved collaboration among engineering areas, reduces operational friction, and enhances overall system lifecycle effectiveness. The paper outlines the core principles of this methodology and examines its potential to transform how complex systems are simulated and managed, by considering DTs as complex systems themselves.
A brief round-up of the key learnings and findings to date is shared and a projection for future work is proposed.