Concept of Human Digital Twin: An Introduction

Human Digital Twin (HDT) is a new innovation that possesses the ability to transform existing human-centric systems and applications. By harnessing tools such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, it can pave the way for highly personalized services. This concept of HDT is expected to be similar in implementation to digital twins proposed in other application areas such as manufacturing and aviation by consisting of three key components: the physical entity, its counterpart virtual twin model, and the connection that characterizes the physical–virtual interactions. However, the inherent complexity of the human body, characterized by constant molecular and physiological changes, presents a formidable challenge. Securely extracting precise medical data as well as creating accurate HDT models is an intricate endeavor. Consequently, HDT is considerably more complex than its counterparts in other domains, and the methods for its implementation remain uncertain, necessitating further exploration. This chapter addresses this gap by presenting an overview of HDT including a general HDT framework as well as some potential application scenarios. In addition, definitions of key features are provided to fully understand the concept of HDT. The chapter provides a solid foundation for the remaining chapters of this book