Using digital twins in industrial manufacturing processes is common, as they help monitor production and maintain maximum efficiency even at the end of the life cycle of the machines; however, they are also being used in global issues, such as food shortages or even the covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re seeing a lot more applications, so the possibility space has widened in all sorts of ways we can think of,” says Frank Diana, futurist at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object or system that is updated from data in real time. These are obtained by sensors in vital areas of the article for its operation.
Once it has that information, the digital twin can run simulations based on machine learning, to study performance problems and generate possible improvements, with the purpose of delivering valuable information that contributes to decision-making in the original physical object.
According to figures from the analysis firm , in 2022 the digital twin market was valued at 6.9 billion dollars, but for some analysts this industry could continue to increase drastically until 2027, rising to an estimated value of 73.5 billion dollars. Dollars.
Although they are more common in industries, Diana explains that they can help address food shortages. “Through AI and other capabilities, you can understand what causes vegetables or food to go bad in the real world. So once you understand what makes a banana go bad, for example, you can look for signs and then you can start proactively treating that problem.”
But this example does not apply only to food at home, he mentions, but must also be implemented in the supply chain. “Once the process is known, solutions can be executed during transport or when it is in the grocery store waiting to be sold.”
However, this is not the only unusual application, says the expert, adding that digital twins allow all kinds of different things to be simulated, from the traditional to uses that would be part of a science fiction story, such as the human body. to test medications.
“And if you create a digital twin of the human brain?” asks the specialist. “It would help to test the effects of vaccines and other drugs on the brain. Also to understand the reaction that the body could have to various drugs long before they are tested in humans and create side effects.”
The vaccine against covid-19 is an achievement where digital twins also contributed. To develop at unprecedented speed, while complying with clinical trials, regulations, and large-scale production, scientists used these systems to solve fundamental questions.
They helped determine, for example, the amount of component included in each dose, the machines needed to make each component, how full the syringes need to be to deliver a dose, how cold the basals need to stay, or what the best logistics are for keep them at the ideal temperature.
It is worth mentioning that although digital twin technology has existed since before the development of the covid-19 vaccine began, it had not been used in other medical developments because a large investment in the technology was stimulated in this period, something that was not had previously been available.
