VIRTUAL REALITY
Seeing Double A digital twin is a dynamic virtual representation (‘twin’) of a physical asset, process or system, bridging the physical and digital worlds. They turn data into real-time insights that can optimise performance, reduce costs and predict outcomes before they happen.
Early in May 2025, the UK’s Digital Twin Centre opened in Belfast, aiming to accelerate the adoption of digital twin technology with convened capabilities across intelligence, data services, immersive and UX, cyber-physical systems, integration, and security sectors, to make this emerging technology more accessible and interoperable across sectors and suppliers. Digital twins are not new concepts. NASA began using early forms of digital twins in the 1960s to simulate and manage spacecraft systems during the Apollo missions. Digital twins are not limited to machinery, they’re used to simulate humans, cities and even the Earth’s climate. Create one, and then you have the model to test scenarios and hypotheses on. Enter the world of sports and healthcare, as humans longingly desire to be faster, stronger and live longer.
Digital twins are not limited to machinery, they’re used to simulate humans, cities and even the Earth’s climate. Create one, and then you have the model to test scenarios and hypotheses on.
have the patient’s digital heart, doctors can test how treatments like surgery or medication might affect their patient’s actual heart. An athlete’s performance can be enhanced when digital twins analyse and model movements and predict injuries. It is believed that Formula 1 teams such as Mercedes-AMG Petronas, and Red Bull Racing, use digital twins of the cars and their drivers. These twins apparently simulate both car dynamics and the physiological responses of the driver, to optimise training, race strategy and hydration or temperature management. However, there is some thought that the F1 teams are using point cloud software to derive models based on the cars’ 200+ sensors, which is not in fact, a digital twin, but 3D modelling using point clouds, photogrammetry and 3D designs. Whether F1 teams have created digital twins of their drivers or not, one thing is certain, the digital twins of Max Verstappen and George Russell can be designed to live virtually indefinitely, allowing for a form of continued interaction and influence forever. n
Enabling Vitality Doctors can use digital twins to create virtual models of patients, allowing personalised treatment predictions, for people with certain diseases like heart conditions or cancer. Once you
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