Over the last few decades, computer science has made efforts to bridge the gap between software and the physical world. We see this in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and more. Engineers and scientists have found a way to utilize the world of software for the creation of “digital twins,” a revolutionary design method for anything you can think of! But what are “digital twins” and how can they help us?

The early days of computing were mostly focused on the use of complex calculations and managing records of data. This is evident due to the early popularity of languages like FORTRAN and popular applications like Microsoft Word and Excel. As computers became ever more abundant in homes and workplaces alike, the early pioneers of computer science turned to graphics for easy-to-read displays and easy consumption of media like movies and TV shows. The introduction of vibrant, colorful displays helped take computers to the widespread audience they have seen today. This change relied on the use of separate graphical hardware, namely the graphics processing unit (GPU).

As I noted, computers had already found homes in the academic and corporate worlds, yet there was still one last step to bring the usability of computers up to the standards of today. 3D graphics software was combined with complex mathematical simulations to create “digital twins,” exact digital replicas of physical objects. The concept of visualizing 3D images was nothing new, but what digital twins allowed engineers to do is to interact with an object just like its tangible (physical) counterpart. Simulations of destruction, motion, and more have been used by architects and structural engineers, while the complex forces of space have been used by organizations like NASA to create near-perfect visualizations of places that would cost billions of dollars to visit. As a result, the combination of advanced computer science and other scientific knowledge has given scientists capabilities many would have considered impossible.