Recognized above all for its performance in the life sciences such as medicine, the digital twin no longer knows any borders. From the electric car to basketball, from urban planning to mobile phones or even beer brewing, its field of application is limitless. Analyze the evolution of a virus over several years in a hurry, train on a precise gesture during a virtual open-heart operation, or more simply simulate an engine failure: every day new uses are emerging in different sectors.

For industry, this concept, which emerged around the 1980s, has become the cornerstone of the factory of the future. More recently, at the last One Ocean Summit in Brest in February, the idea of ​​a digital twin of the oceans even surfaced. A kind of avatar of the marine environment capable of predicting sea level rise, the proliferation of toxic algae, the frequency of storms… But what exactly does this buzzword mean? Why might it be of interest to players in the cultural and creative industries?

“Creating a virtual twin to better understand and improve reality”

A digital twin (or virtual twin) is defined as a perfect 3D digital copy of a product, a factory and its various machines, or even an object or a city, under the same conditions as the real thing, explains Dassault Systèmes, a French world leader that has been developing virtual twins for 40 years. " The goal is to establish digital tools with a positive impact. The idea is always the same: to create a virtual twin to better understand and improve reality ."

It only took an announcement from Mark Zuckerberg, during the launch of his "Meta" in October 2021, for luxury giants to take a closer look and begin investing in this technology, which is closely linked to the Metaverse , with Balenciaga leading the way. We saw Gucci and other brands selling digital twins of their bags, while at the end of March, the very first digital "fashion week" was held on Decentraland. In the world of gaming , from League of Legends to Roblox and Fortnite , millions of players, mostly from Generation Z, can now dress their avatars in designer looks from Moncler, Ralph Lauren, and Marc Jacobs.

But the usefulness of digital twins in the fashion industry lies primarily in their indirect environmental benefits, as explained by Riana Ralambomanana, Head of Innovation at Quinten, a leading artificial intelligence company in Europe. “ Modeling the production chain allows for a precise estimation of the resources needed and reduces unnecessary cutting. Thanks to the digital twin, there's no longer a need to manufacture physical prototypes. Finally, from a marketing perspective, it's possible to assess customer interest in several variations of the same garment or accessory without actually producing them, for example, through the creation of interactive virtual showrooms .” No more wasted time searching for the perfect sweater to match your skirt or shirt; the dilemma will be easily resolved in 3D. In just a few clicks, the salesperson will use the digital twin of the garment in question to provide information and images that allow you to visualize your future looks. According to Vogue magazine, brands like Valentino, Ferragamo, and Versace have already begun a digital approach in this direction.

Endless creative possibilities

Museums and historical monuments have also embraced the concept, aiming to appeal to VR enthusiasts, but not only them. Since 2021, the Cité de l'Architecture has allowed visitors to explore the Lascaux Cave, or rather its virtual twin. Guided by a lecturer, visitors, in small groups, experience the site and its ancient masterpieces—painted horses, deer, and ibex—as if they were truly underground. There is, however, one drawback: to strictly adhere to the definition of a digital twin, this virtual replica would have had to evolve at the same pace as the real cave.

“ There are several levels of definition for a digital twin, from a simple exact copy to a more elaborate replica that reacts and evolves just like in real life. It all depends on how you want to use this model of reality. Ultimately, the most important aspect of modern digital twins remains the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things) for sensors. This means the ability to build and evolve the model almost in real time based on data collected in the real world ,” continues Riana Ralambomanana. Finally, starting in June, visitors to the Villa Méditerranée will also be able to explore a physical replica of the Cosquer Cave for the first time.

The preservation of heritage is also at stake: using a wealth of data collected before the Notre-Dame de Paris fire, notably with the help of drones, a "virtual Notre-Dame" was created exactly one year ago to support its reconstruction. The Natural History Museum in London, one of the first museums to embrace digital twins , uses them across the entire museum as a dashboard to manage operations and plan future investments. For others, the digital twin represents an opportunity to explore new creative avenues. A prime example is the music industry: on her latest album, American artist Holly Herndon shares the microphone with a digital double of her voice, named Holly+. The experience extends online (at Holly.plus), where users can have fun making this twin sing along to any song of their choice. The musician has promised a 3D double of herself to embody him soon. The rest is easy to imagine… When will we get a private concert by Serge Gainsbourg's twin in your living room, or a poetry evening with Arthur Rimbaud's twin?