Digital twin

Since the very beginning of space exploration, NASA has been building actual size replicas of spaceships and rovers to help them troubleshoot issues when the vehicles are out in outer space. Furthermore, real-time data captured and processed during spaceship launches has helped with timely maneuvering decisions. Similar concepts are currently utilized in various industrial processes such as manufacturing, oil and gas industry, and supply chain to name a few. A good example of the use of Digital twin technology is the GPS-based navigation system where maps are overlaid with location coordinates and real-time traffic data to make decisions on the best available routes. In this chapter we describe the use of digital twin technology in various industries such as manufacturing (including drug and vaccine development), pharmaceutical, healthcare and the practice of medicine. We further describe the rapid development of computation technologies and better structuring of electronic health records which in turn has ushered the emergence of digital health in medicine. Lastly, we provide examples of the use of digital twin technology in the areas of personalized medicine (immunology, dementia, and oncology), biomarker development (Multiple sclerosis, Chron's and Cardiovascular diseases), and clinical trials (Alzheimer's and breast cancer).