History in Brief
Digital Twins represent a fusion of physical and virtual assets, creating a dynamic interface between a real object and its digital double. This technology, while rooted in concepts dating back to the 1960s with NASA aeronautical simulations, has seen rapid evolution over the past decade. This is thanks to the potential offered by the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and advanced analytics, making it a pillar in the Industry 4.0 era.
Context
In an era where innovation and digitalization drive progress, our company recognizes the transformative power of Digital Twins in various processes related to Public Administrations and especially in Public Healthcare. In the latter sector, these solutions promise to revolutionize the way processes, equipment and even patients are managed, improving efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing the quality of service. In general, in our highly innovative context, they allow us to save time by reducing the product development cycle and their time-to-market.
Objective
Our R&D project aims to exploit the potential of Digital Twins in the healthcare scenario by technologically declining the concept of the Virtual Hospital, aiming to create a virtual ecosystem that reflects the operational reality of hospitals and clinics. Goals include simulation of complex scenarios, optimization of resources, and more effective management of patients and equipment. With this, we intend to meet the growing needs of an increasingly digitalized healthcare system, while ensuring safety, efficiency and quality of services.
Results and Prototype Solutions
The R&D project in question produced several results useful for a dual purpose: improving the team's skills on enabling technologies for Digital Twins and developing prototypes in the field of Virtual Hospitals. On this last point, virtual scenario models have been studied, analyzed and designed that simulate patient flows, the interaction between medical equipment, and the optimized management of medical staff. Through these prototype solutions, we have highlighted how the implementation of Digital Twin can effectively revolutionize the healthcare environment, offering innovative approaches to hospital management and planning.