E-MAGAZINE ISSUE INFOTE R34 | APRIL-JUNE 2018
Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
FOREWORD By Prof. Gary A. Grey, MBM This issue of Hypertech E-magazine features 3 emerging technologies: 1) Stem Cell Transplant 2) Virtual Reality 3) Digital Twin These three seemingly diverse emerging technologies have one common denominator in the word “twin”. Stem Cell Transplant technology while lying in the biological healthcare realm essentially creates a healthy “twin” of a damaged part of the human anatomy through a complex process using stem cells. Virtual Reality is a technology that creates a “twin” virtual world of the physical world through digital hardware and software. In this sense, the emerging technology of Digital Twin is a sub-variant of Virtual Reality which creates a “twin” of the physical world and can simulate processes as complex as navigating a ship. While these technologies are fast evolving and expensive at the outset, the law of accelerating returns will eventually make these technologies accessible and affordable to the masses. Learn more from the different articles on the strength-weakness-opportunities-threats , cost -benefit, ethical and nation-building implications of these technologies. Some philosophical questions emerge like: If human digital twins, with its self-learning and self-improving capabilities at a more efficient pace, results to a better version of an individual, what happens to the value and meaning of the real human in the physical world? Hypertech Magazine Issue Infote R34 April - June 2018
GARY A. GREY, MBM Gary A. Grey, MBM, is a consultant for software development engaged in creating optimal decision-making systems and intelligent process support software for the global market. He is concurrently a faculty member of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business where he teaches Information Technology, Business Intelligence, E-Marketing, Technopreneurship, and ECommerce. In the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health teaches Health Informatics. He took up undergraduate studies at De La Salle University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude major in Economics in 1972. He served in the banking community for the last 26 years with stints in Union Bank of the Philippines, Bancom Development Corporation, and PCIBank.
“twin”
Emerging Technology:
Stem Cell Transplant 6 |
Emerging Technology
Hypertech Issue R34 April-June 2018
INTRODUCTION In recent years, Stem Cell Transplant has lished by the American Heart Association in been identified as one of the key emerging 2013; the rise in patient volume is clear. technologies in the global health care industry. This paper seeks to dive deeper into its benefits, the processes behind it, its technology, and the moral and ethical questions surrounding it.
The number of patients undergoing stem cell therapy continues to rise at a staggering rate each year, and while controversy and skepticism still surround the topic, the success rates for treatment cannot be denied. A World Press article published on November 27, 2015 released the following data on the results of stem cell therapy across the different diseases for which it was used.
Illustration 2: Rise in the Number of Heart Patients in the US
Today, that number has increased significantly, for a variety of medical conditions, and on a global scale. As it stands, with the continued advancement in stem cell research, and the increasing number of diseases being successfully treated with cell therapy, millions of patients today could potentially benefit from the treatment. An article by Clarke and Newbert on Stem Cell Research and its Applications (MicrobiologySpring 2010) released the following data on the potential US patient population in 2010 that could significantly benefit from stem cell treatment:
Illustration 1: Results of Stem Cell Therapy per Disease
Based on the number of patients with a Cardiovascular disease that were treated with 6 major types of cells from 2000 (when the first cell therapy for heart disease was performed) to 2012 in the United States as pubHypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
Illustration 3: Potential US Patient Population for Stem Cell Therapy
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TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION The Makati Medical Center Cellular Therapeutics Center, presently considered as the most advanced cellular therapeutic center in the country in terms of the technology and services it offers, is the venue selected as source and model of this study. Cellular Therapeutics Center (CTC) was founded on April 2012. It was created to respond to the rapidly emerging field of regenerative medicine that covers chronic and degenerative diseases. Cell therapy aims to replace dysfunctional or damaged tissue with healthy and functional tissue.
the hospital and the Department of Health (DOH). In 1990, National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) became the first institution to offer cell based therapy thru Dendritic cell vaccination . Two decades later, there were 5 unregulated hospitals and some ambulatory surgical clinics offering stem cell regimens for a broad range of diseases and notoriously the solution to aging or a “fountain of youth� cure. Reacting to concerns in the medical community and the hype created , the Department of Health (DOH) was prompted to regulate the practice to secure public safety. Administrative Order 2013-0012 was created and contains rules and regulations governing the accreditation of health facilities engaging in human stem cells and cell-based or cellular therapies in the Philippines.
The Makati Medical Center CTC invested in a class 100 clean room facility and is operated by a multidisciplinary team composed of medical doctors, scientists, nurses, allied health professionals and an administrative support group with strict compliance to the As per the DOH website, only seven centers Institute Review Board (IRB) committee of are accredited as of 2016.
Illustration 4: List of Accredited Human Stem Cell Facilities in the Philippines
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__________________ As it stands, with the continued advancement in stem cell research, and the increasing number of diseases being successfully treated with cell therapy, millions of patients today could potentially benefit from the treatment. __________________ Highlights of the DOH-AO 2013-0012:
The only Stem Cell treatments not covered by this AO are:
The DOH AO2013-0012 had a tremendous effect on the local industry of regenerative medicine. Revenues decreased, treatment applications were narrowed down forcing some facilities to halt operations. The CTC suffered from this with gross revenue plunging from 21 million pesos to 13 million pesos from 2013 to 2014. Up to the present, centers offering stem cell therapies like the CTC are continually challenged to gain revenues owing to the costs of treatments, long turnaround in product development attributed to processes and regulatory requirements and expenses in constantly standardizing quality control systems that guarantees consistency of cell therapy products.
1. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for Leukemia 2. Corneal resurfacing with limbal stem cells for Corneal damage 3. Skin regeneration with epidermal stem cells for Skin burn
Human stem cell or cell based therapies will only be performed in DOH accredited facilities.
All protocols must be reviewed, evaluated and approved according to acceptable standards of the DOH and international guidelines.
It is prohibited to use human embryo for regenerative medicine procedures.
FDA approval is required for genetically manipulated cell products.
Any false claims, to include advertisements, marketing and other related activities is prohibited.
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Cellular Therapeutic Center Services and Capabilities The MMC-CTC offers nine types of stem cell and regenerative medical treatment that is backed by strict Institutional Review Board protocols. PROTOCOL TITLE
INDICATION
1. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of reduced intensity immune-ablation and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis
2. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of intra-articular injection of autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell for osteoarthritis: a feasibility study
Osteoarthritis
3. Evaluation of the efficacy of autologous chondrocyte implantation for cartilage repair and regeneration
Cartilage degeneration/ injury
4. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of intracoronary autologous infusion of stem cells for ischemic cardiomyopathy
Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
5. Evaluation of Intravitreal Autologous Bone Marrow CD34+ Cell Transplantation for Ischemic and Degenerative Retinal Disorders
Ischemic & Degenerative Retinal Disorders
6. Autologous Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Cancer Patients: A registry study
Cancer
7. Evaluation of the Safety & Efficacy of Intravenous Administration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Clinically- Frail Patients
Clinical Frailty
8. Evaluation of the Safety & Efficacy of Cellular Transplantation Strategy for Critical Limb Ischemia: A Feasibility Study
Critical Limb Ischemia
9. Evaluation of the safety and utility of the transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells for patients with spinal cord injury
Spinal Cord Injury
__________________ Stem cells have a remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells offer new potentials for treating diseases. __________________ Illustration 5: Org Chart of MMC-CTC
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TRENDS IN THE TECHNOLOGY
Stem cells have a remarkable potential to breakthroughs. Some of their identified podevelop into many different cell types in the tential stem cells treatments are: body during early life and growth. Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells • Helping the body’s own cells fight cancer offer new potentials for treating diseases. by engineering, through stem cells, a cancer-fighting immune system. This strategy places T cell receptor genes into stem cells Stem Cells in Treating Cancer to generate a patient’s renewable source Cancer remains to be a burden worldwide. In of lymphocytes to fight disease. 2012, 8.2 million deaths were attributed to cancer. Almost half of them are lung, liver, • Identifying the molecular and genetic stomach and bowel cancer. Stem cells and mechanisms that cause normal blood cell therapy have shown promise in treating stem cells to become cancerous, which various type of cancer such as lung cancer, could lead to new therapies that target breast cancer, colorectal cancer, brain cancer leukemia stem cells and kill the early cells and bone cancer. Government support has that give rise to mature cancer cells. been a major driving force in moving forward cancer stem cell research however, stringent • Developing screening methods that will regulations and ethical issues have slowed match specific drug treatments with padown testing on human subjects. tients with brain, ovarian and colorectal cancer based on molecular and genetic response to the therapy and avoiding trial Researchers at the Broad Stem Cell Research and error. Center in California have made remarkable Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
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METHOD SCHEMAS
1. Multiple Sclerosis
4. Cartilage Repair
2. Clinical Frailty
5. Dendritic Cell Therap
3. Osteoarthritis
6. Psoriasis
py—Cancer
7. Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
8. Retinal Disorder
9. Spinal Cord Injury
Stem Cells in Treating Alzheimer’s:
Global Cord Stem Cells:
People affected with Alzheimer’s were found to have abnormal build of certain proteins in the brain. One of these proteins, called amyloid beta, clumps together to form ‘plaques’. Another, known as tau, gets twisted into protein ‘tangles’. Scientists believe that these plaques prevent the brain to function normally. One stem cell approach in treating Alzheimer’s is to deliver neurotrophins to the brain. In a healthy brain they support the growth of neurons.
Three sources for stem cells are bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood. Blood inside the umbilical cord is called cord blood, and is collected at the time of delivery. Cord blood is a rich source for red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets, and hematopoietic stem cells, and is extracted and stored in private blood banks with an intention to cure diseases in future if required.
Many scientists believe that Alzheimer’s patients will benefit from stem cells in a different way before the development of potential cell transplantation therapies. By using stem cells derived from Alzheimer patients to grow large numbers of brain cells in the lab, scientists can study the disease and search for new drugs.
Since the first cord blood transplant in 1988, cord blood treatments have helped save the lives of young people with health conditions like leukemia and auto immune disorders. One of the barriers in cord blood stem cells is the high cost of storage and use.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION Healthcare: Cord Blood Stem Cells Such is the decision of a family who enlisted to one of the country’s cord blood banking facility here in the Philippines. The main reason for this decision is to further safeguard their family’s future. The stem cells found in the newborn’s umbilical cord are used to treat hematological disorders and different diseases. It might eventually prove to be an important source for cellular therapy or regenerative medicine. Aside from it being a guaranteed match for transplants where donor and recipient are the same, it can also be the closest match when and if a family mem-
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ber needs it. This is also a better option than having to search for donors which is not only time-consuming but also costly most especially if in a time critical situation. Preserving the stem cells of a newborn’s umbilical cord for potential future use is like having an invaluable health insurance for the family. Despite the cost, it gives the family assurance that it can be used at any given time when any member of the family will eventually need it.
Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
__________________ Unfortunately, as with many emerging technologies in the medical field, the main thing standing in the way for patients to receive stem cell treatment is the cost __________________
Shown in Illustration 7 is the cost of cord blood banking by Cordlife, one of the cord blood banking facilities here in the Philippines. Illustration 8 shows a sample of the certificate given to the parent of the newborn whose umbilical cord was collected and stored.
Illustration 7: Cost of Cord Blood Banking Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
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COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS New technologies often follow a life cycle where the cost is highest at the nascent stages and where the cost drops as usage increases and the technology matures. This life cycle is doubly true in the healthcare industry, where the commercial lifespan of a product is relatively short. In an article by Fortune.com, three of the top ten R&D spenders worldwide in 2013 are pharmaceutical companies. Medical corporations are among the top spenders in research and development because of stringent regulatory standards and because of the risk to the life of patients. In the case of stem cell therapy, the accredited providers have generally been mum about their costs. It would not be a surprise, however, if they suffer financial losses during the first few years of operations. Aside from R&D, stem cell therapy providers spend for capital expenditures such laboratory equipment and a cleanroom setting laboratory and treatment facility. They also incur operating expenses such as skilled laboratory operators, manufacturing agents for stem cell activation, and lab maintenance. In a study by BioProcess International, the authors developed an economic model to explain why stem cell therapy is expensive. They found that the estimated overall operating cost to treat a single patient in a stem cell facility was 51,301 US dollars. This figure does not include the cost of collecting whole blood from patients, the cost of transport of stem cells, and the cost of administration to patients. Of the 51,301 US dollars, 52% is in the form of the labor cost of lab operators, supervisors, and quality controllers. Stem cell therapy is surprisingly labor-intensive. There are several manual interventions by 16 |
Emerging Technology
skilled operators in the process of activating stem cells, such as processing, washing, feeding and other handling procedures. The next biggest component of cost at 23% are the materials, such as media, growth factors, supplements, buffers, brought water for injections, purified water, and quality control tests. The rest of the cost components are facility and equipment, consumables, utilities, insurance, maintenance, and waste treatment (see Illustration 9 below).
Illustration 9: Cost of Stem Cell Therapy
It is also important to differentiate between two types of stem cell therapy. The most popular type is the autologous, where stem cells are harvested from and reintroduced to the same patient. The other type is allogeneic, where stem cells come from donors. Allogeneic stem cell therapy has the advantage of being cheaper. Stem cells from one donor can benefit multiple patients. It allows economies of scale of a traditional manufacturing process. However, it suffers from the issues of longer storage times (and higher storage costs) of the donated stem cells. Stem cells may be cryopreserved for future use, but the downside is that stem cell stability is a problem. Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
On the other hand, autologous stem cell therapy is like a manufacturing process where every product is customized. It is difficult to reach economies of scale because the production volume is low and the number of manual manipulations is large. The process is designed for small-scale dedicated patient suites, with a central or local manufacturing laboratory near the point-of-care. There are five general cost drivers for an autologous stem cell therapy operations:
government-funded institutions, especially in the Philippines. Accredited providers cannot pass on too much of the cost to patients. Otherwise, those that can afford will opt to go abroad for treatment while those that cannot afford will not avail of stem cell therapy or go to unaccredited, riskier providers. Accredited providers have to price their services right to maximize their revenues and recover at least part of their cost. Currently, the cost of a stem cell therapy in the Philippines start at half a million pesos and could 1. Management of patient in a hospital set- go higher depending on the number of sesting for the removal and reintroduction sions and the type of disease being treated. of cells 2. Expansion and activation of cells re- On the patients’ end, they should expect to moved from the patient in a cleanroom pay more than the cost of therapy. Aside lab environment from out-of-pocket costs, patients may want 3. Manufacture of agents needed to acti- to be covered by insurance. Insurance comvate the cells panies are starting to consider stem cell 4. Logistics treatment as part of the standard coverage. 5. Risks, quality control, failure rates, and Patients may also choose to harvest and preserve stem cells from their umbilical cords. malpractice insurance costs Stem cell harvester companies, such as Cordlife, offer to harvest stem cells from umbilical cords and preserve them for the patient’s use for up to 18 years. Patients opting for this additional service will have to pay a one-time fee and an annual storage fee. The cost of stem cell therapy is still high both for the provider and the patient. One question that the medical industry asks is if it is worth it. The reality is it is too soon to know how much the potential benefits of stem cell therapy is worth and if it will offset the inGiven all these costs, it is no wonder accred- vestment, R&D, and operating costs. But the ited providers typically are large hospitals or industry is optimistic, and patients with incurable diseases are hopeful.
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One way to roughly estimate the benefits of stem cell therapy from a macroeconomic perspective is to use labor productivity statistics. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Gross Domestic Product per employed person in 2016 was 353,206 pesos. In the same year, among the top 10 causes of deaths were Diabetes Mellitus with 33,295 reported deaths and Ischaemic and Other Heart Diseases with 610,824 reported deaths (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2016). If the Philippines could halve the mortality rate for just these two diseases using stem cell re-
search, the country could generate almost 114 billion pesos in additional GDP (see Illustration 10 below).
Given the additional productivity of a healthier Philippine workforce, policymakers have to assess whether a national program for stem cell research is worth investing in. With the wide range of diseases that stem cell therapy may remedy, it may just turn out that the benefits will far outweigh the costs.
Heart Disease Number of deaths, 2016
Diabetes
Total
610,824
33,295
50%
50%
Additional productive citizens
305,412
16,648
multiply by: Productivity
353,206
353,206
107,873,350,872
5,879,996,885
multiply by: Improved survival rate
Additional GDP
113,753,347,757
Illustration 10: Additional GDP from Improving the Survival Rate of Heart Diseases and Diabetes in the Philippines, based on 2016 figures
__________________ Does stem cell research maximize social benefits and minimize social injuries? ... Will elevating stem cell research on a higher national level bring just distribution of benefits and burdens to Filipino society? __________________ 18 |
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Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS Regenerative medicine research has been around for decades. A few medical institutions have been accredited to engage in such endeavors while some still operate and market on their own. This specialized field is still considered as clinical and/or experimental in nature thus ethical implications surfaced when this technology was implemented on human patients. Utilitarianism Ethics begs the question: does stem cell research maximize social benefits and minimize social injuries? Yes on maximizing social benefits, because all institutions peddling and marketing this field claim they could provide care and help society battle fatal diseases mentioned above and thus prolonging and improving lives. But it’s still a No on minimizing social injuries because there are still proven and reliable techniques such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy that have shown to have less risks involved. Add the fact that some unac-
credited institutions have been reported not properly documenting and cataloging these activities for future assessment. Ethics on Distributive or Capitalist Justice begs the question: will elevating stem cell research on a higher national level bring just distribution of benefits and burdens to Filipino society? No on distribution of benefits, because given the high costs of running such a facility entails costs only the rich and welloff people can afford. No on the distribution of burdens as well because clearly the indigent patients will not be able to handle the high costs themselves. Should their lack of resources make them low-priority candidates for availing this technology? No as well because the objective is to make this accessible to all diseased members of society regardless of their financial status.
NATION BUILDING Awareness Drive In allowing Stem Cell Transplant services to be made available to all socio - economic segments in the country, the support from both the public and private sectors has to be strengthened. While cost remains to be the key consideration in making this initiative a success, various plans - as detailed and proposed below - need to be executed in order to achieve an improved quality of life among Filipinos.
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Objective: Implement a holistic advertising and PR campaign to make more people aware of the Stem Cell Transplant technology and services. It seeks to make people understand that they have the choice to prevent and protect them from serious illnesses they may possibly get due to genetic factors in their family. It is key to also include those who are already ill and can still have the option to prolong their lives due to the positive effects of the transplant.
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The communication touchpoints to be used include traditional advertising through print media placements in top broadsheets (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin and Philippine Star) and PR efforts through TV and radio guesting in pre-determined news, lifestyle and medical programs. The same strategy will be translated on the digital platform by maximizing presence in selected websites, blogs and social media in which majority of the Filipinos is most receptive to. Last and the most important venue in reaching our targeted audience is through onground support and collaterals installed around major and accredited hospitals that currently has services for the transplant. The creative execution and messaging of the campaign will center on testimonies of Stem Cell Transplant patients. It targets to present a real-life statement from someone who has gone through the procedure himself and the new hope it brought him and his family for a better life ahead. The visuals will revolve around middle aged subjects with their families doing activities together.
gets to touch the hearts of the Filipino people in supporting the transplant and increase the need for it and hopefully will help translate into more affordable services and use of facility. Other than the patient prospects, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), hospitals and medical insurance companies will be targeted by this campaign.
Enhanced Expertise and Resources Objective: Along with the hopes to increase the demand for Stem Cell transplant, there’s a consequent need to ensure that sufficient and effective training programs and facility are available in the country to attract more physicians to perform the treatment. A proposed aggressive partnership between global stem cell training organizations and medical as well as academic institutions has to be in place. The coursework that will be executed by the likes of the Stem Cell center will focus on minimal invasive techniques for harvesting stem cells from adipose tissue, bone marrows and platelet-rich plasma. It will equip physicians to return to their practices and apply these techniques in patient treatments.
A venue that will be conducive for learning is also key to make this plan a success. With this, partnerships among selected training center and medical institutions (with their affiliated schools) need to be prioritized. The Makati Medical Center is the main prospect of this initiative. Both lectures and hands – Illustration 11: Sample PR for Stem Cells on training will be available with the hopes of With the right communication touchpoints developing future stem cell experts who and creative execution, the campaign tar- aligned with global standards.
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Sustain Support and Reach a Wider Current Scenario on Stem Cell Market Technology and Insurance Objective: The plan seeks support from government sectors as well as top Health Management Organizations (HMOs) and NGOs to increase and sustain the market for the treatment. As in every big scale initiative, the support of the government is the most important factor in making it a success. The campaign proposes to involve government organization such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to impose regulations with regards to the proliferation of doctors practicing stem cell therapy and government hospitals such as the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to create a facility that can offer cheaper and government subsidized procedures and other related services. If these materialize, this will not only able to help lower segments afford the treatment more but moreso, protect their safety and integrity of the treatment.
As of the moment, costs associated to stem cell treatments are not yet covered by the National Health Insurance (PhilHealth) or any Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) here in the Philippines. Ever since the passing of Republic Act (RA) 10606 or the National Health Insurance Program of 2013, stem cell treatments are still undergoing assessments and evaluations before it can be classified as a standard care available to address the different health concerns of Filipinos. This is the same reason why HMOs have not included this yet as part of the benefits for its plan holders. As confirmed with an industry practitioner, Stem Cell Treatments are considered as one of the latest modalities in health care which is still undergoing assessment if it will eventually be covered by HMOs.
Its success also relies heavily on the support of both PHILHEALTH and HMOs to allow a bigger portion of the society access to the treatment.
Illustration 13: Stem Cells and Insurance
__________________
Illustration 12: PhilHealth and Stem Cells
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As in every big scale initiative, the support of the government is the most important factor in making it a success. __________________ Emerging Technology
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Unless our government sets aside a budget to subsidize cost of investing on this technology and institute amendments in the law to include this treatment as part of health insurance, Filipinos cannot expect stem cell treatment to be more affordable any time soon. An alternative that can be considered is to maximize the use of life insurance riders that cover critical illnesses. For the past few years, life insurance companies have made changes in terms of how it is perceived by consumers. Life insurance companies emphasize that benefits from insurance policies are not just limited to “death benefits”, but also to “living benefits” such as coverage for critical illnesses. An individual having this as a rider for his insurance policy can receive a benefit (sometimes up to as much as PHP 3,000,000.00) in the event that he is diagnosed to suffer from critical illnesses such as
life-threatening cancer. After complying with the requirements of the claim, the insured can then use the amount received for whatever purpose he wishes to, including paying for stem cell treatments.
CONCLUSION As the acceptance of the benefits of Stem Cell Transplant continues to grow; this paper recognizes the need to (1) further promote the technology and make it more affordable for a greater majority of Filipinos and (2) continuously seek for newer forms of treatment and cure. The group believes that with sufficient support from both the private and public sectors, a better quality of life and a more productive nation will be realized.
1
Group Members: Acoba, Arnold Allan Chua, Charlemagne Dizon, Loren Anne Kallos, Leilani Nieva, Anna Panlilio, Raymond Jude Gerard Rivera, Maria Lenora Supnet, Josef 22 |
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Emerging Technology:
Virtual Reality
INTRODUCTION Imagine you can do bungee jump at The Macau Tower or do a solo skydive, yet you are at the very comfort of your home doing these things. This is the technology of Virtual Reality. It is a near to reality three dimensional computer generated simulated environment that you can explore so you feel you are really there physically and mentally. You can interact and as you are immersed within that visualized environment.
of reality. Virtual Reality (VR) literally makes it possible to experience anything, anywhere, anytime. It is the most immersive type of reality technology and can convince the human brain that it is somewhere where it is really not.
The beginning of VR is much longer than just the past five to ten years. There were popular peer-through toys in the 1950s and enclosed flight simulators debuted in the 1960s, but the concept of VR goes back even further as early as the 1930s. Science fiction writers Stanley Grauman Weinbaum presented a comprehensive and specific fictional model for virtual reality in his short story Pygmalion's Spectacles (1935).
__________________
Virtual reality is implemented using interactive 3D created using computer technology and uses range of systems such as headgears, omni-directional treadmills and special data gloves to essentially stimulate our senses together in order to create the illusion Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
Virtual Reality literally makes it possible to experience anything, anywhere, anytime. It is the most immersive type of reality technology and can convince the human brain that it is somewhere where it is really not.
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TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION Virtual Reality is not confined in just entertainment or games. The potential of VR in the entertainment is clear and Immersive films and video games are such good examples. But virtual reality has many other, more serious, applications as well which impact our day to day lives. There are a mixed variety of applications for virtual reality which include: • • • • •
to gain real world experience. As the cost of virtual reality goes down and it becomes more mainstream you can expect more serious uses, such as education or productivity applications, to come to the forefront. Virtual reality could substantively change the way we interface with our digital technologies. Continuing the trend of improving our technology.
Architecture Sports Medicine The Arts Entertainment
Wherever it is too dangerous, expensive or impractical to do something in reality, virtual reality is the answer. From training fighter pilots to training medical surgeons, virtual reality allows us to take virtual risks in order
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Difference of Other Reality Technologies:
Augmented Reality (AR) Augmented reality in essence is letting the users see and interact with the superimposed digital content in the real world. One best example is the Pokémon GO – wherein millions of people all over the world have been rushing with their smartphones in search for those small virtual creatures in the real world.
Mixed Reality (MR) This is the most recent development in reality technologies that sometimes causes confusion, primarily because different experiences are called so. MR brings together real world and digital elements. According to Intel, in mixed reality, you interact with and manipulate both physical and virtual items and environments, using next-generation sensing and imaging technologies. Mixed Reality allows you to see and immerse yourself in the world around you even as you interact with a virtual environment using your own hands—all without ever removing your headset. It provides the ability to have one foot (or hand) in the real world, and the other in an imaginary place, breaking down basic concepts between real and imaginary, offering an experience that can change the way you game and work today.
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TRENDS IN THE TECHNOLOGY As early as 1960s, the technology of virtual reality started and as the decades progressed, strides in the development of equipment and experience took shape. The wearable technology and VR experience that we now enjoy such as the google glass and simulators were came about through the following innovations for the past decades.
Rise in VR developers given the huge talent base; (4) More immersive experience making the technology more realistic ; and (5) Increased availability and reduced cost of VR products in view of the competition with a lot of companies venturing into the industry.
The future of VR is foreseen to be great in these areas; (1) More 360 videos will be made available in view of the great advancement of digital camera and imaging software; (2) Adoption into the Advertising industry improving the target customer experience; (3) Technology
Description
Year Developed
Innovator
Sensorama
Multi-sensory simulator with a pre-recorded film projected with audio, scent, wind and vibration
1962
Morton Heilig
The Ultimate Display
Artificial world construction concept with interactive graphics
1965
Ivan Sutherland
The Sword of Democles First Head Mounted Device (HMD) Grope
First prototype of a forced feedback system
1971
University of Carolina (UNC)
Videoplace
First Artificial Reality conceptual environment that combined silhouettes with screen projection of what the participants are doing
1975
Myron Krueger
Data glove & Eyephone
First commercially available wearable devices
1985
VPL
BOOM
A small box containing two CRT monitors where the user can view through eyeholes an control a virtual world
1989
Fake Space Labs
Virtual Wind Tunnel
Application for simulation of flow fields
1990
NASA
CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment
Visualization system that involves the use of HMD with projections on images on the walls of a room
1992
CAVE
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SWOT ANALYSIS VR for Healthcare
STRENGTHS
• • •
•
Can be used to train practitioners for surgical procedures Long-term cost benefits in training the surgeons Could be used to understand the nature of the procedure and anticipate the problems that come with the procedures. Can be used to educate how medicine works to kill bacteria and other illnesses
WEAKNESSES
• •
•
OPPORTUNITIES
•
•
Higher volumes of doctors would be able to learn surgical procedures faster. It can be used to create more surgeons so that surgery would be more accessible to less exposed areas
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Additional costs vs traditional “observing the senior surgeon” The trainee would not be able to experience actual issues during surgery because he/she will be used to the VR experience. Deprives the doctors to teach younger surgeons
THREATS
• • •
Too much reliability on the VR Confidence build-up virtually that can make surgeons freeze-up in actual Could make senior doctors complacent and less-motivated to teach younger generations
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SWOT ANALYSIS VR for Business
STRENGTHS •
WEAKNESSES
Designing buildings would be faster and prone for lesser mistakes
•
To have a more actual view of the project
to have a feel before it will be built. •
Developers can have more flexibility in
•
It is more time-consuming
•
More expensive in producing the project
the project because he/she can provide more inputs on how they want their project built. •
Reduction of total cost because costings would be more accurate
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
• •
Consumers would have a better feel on
ed if the actual outcome did not match
the final product •
Giving flexibility will create a better consumer experience
Consumers would possibly be disappoint-
the virtual experience •
More expensive for consumers because the VR cost might be passed to them.
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INDUSTRY APPLICATION There are currently numerous amounts of technological applications that VR can support. To name a few, Construction, Medicine, Automotive, IT and many more. Every day technology seems to fill the gap between business needs and the speed or reaction time the business needs it. Virtual Reality can be applied in many occasions. Below is a projected potential for businesses that adapt the VR structure in the future. Business Real Estate
Construction
Business such as automotive, construction, real estate, health care, have already ventured out into these businesses. The chart below will try to enumerate the purpose and results of some of the practices being applied now. VR and AR has grown into an industry that can disrupt retail, processes, training, and operations of a company and develop a more efficient means of connecting and creating a learning environment.
Purpose
Result
Showroom experience, customizable
Streamlined Customer Experience, efficient
home, cost reduction, construction effi-
homes, design implementation cost is re-
ciency. Interior design specifications, floor
duced to a minimum.
layout.
Users can have a home they want.
Pipeline laying and layout, preparation of
Efficient construction procedures, independ-
electrical cement and lot layouts, building
ent construction planning, and execution,
design pre-fabrication, simulation of the
less construction time.
following, weather effects, construction challenges, equipment needed. Automotive
Engine creation, panel generation for fu-
Less cost in trial and error of panels and less
ture car or concept car applications, actual
time making concept cars instead of making
driving simulation.
wooden molds straight to digital. Effective repair procedures and breakdown of engine parts instead of actual dismantling. Repair time is cut down significantly.
Education
Access to a virtual world and create a full exposure environment of learning.
Medicine
Post trauma disorder, Anxiety, burn vic-
Less errors, desensitized victims on pain,
tim, surgical planning, medical anomaly
creation of an outlet, control of mind and
exploration, stroke victim all these appli-
body, less pain or sensation when distracted
cations are used to alleviate sensations of
during treatment.
victims of war, burns, and surgeries. Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
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Figure 1. The Diverse Potential of VR & AR Applications. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/What-industries-will-virtual-reality-VR-disrupt
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS We can only imagine what the impact will be on the development of virtual reality and augmented reality in our lives over the next few years. Many industries that are on the exploratory stage will benefit tremendously as they uncover the vast capabilities of this technology. At this point researching on the cost benefit is hard to extrapolate as there are myriads of functionality and usage on each industry. One industry that is getting more advanced in this technology is the building/ construction/architecture. There are several applications readily available via subscription, which is as follows: 32 |
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•
Enscape: Architectural real-time rendering plugin for live link from BIM to Virtual walkthrough. This software is available for $679 per year in a floating license.
•
Revizto: Is a BIM collaboration tool for project coordination in real time for Architects, Engineers and Construction. The cost of the software is $450 per year or $10,000 a year for 100 projects.
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Benefits of using this application includes a 30% reduction on time coordinating the project, decrease in margin of error as the project is communicated precisely on a visual scale, reduction in last minute changes as the project is presented to the client visually and more accurate forecasting project costs. Given that a building project are in the millions, any cost savings on coordination time and re-work can amount to a big savings. A $10M project at 1% savings would amount to $100,000 cost reduction compared to the $679 cost of the software. Since the benefits outweighs the costs, adoption of this technology in this industry would be an easy sell.
chological use, depending on its application could be on the mid-range of the cost to develop. There are companies like Limbix offering VR content starting at $10,000. The cost enumerated above does not include any additional external hardware, time of the medical professional in assisting with the concept and development, testing and training. Benefits of surgical training is endless. It could be used as a tool for medical students in practicing repeatedly to gain accuracy and confidence or used by the surgeon when planning for a complex operation. The ultimate benefit of this technology is saving lives, which is immeasurable, and eventually some cost saving for the patient, as hospitals gain efficiency with the use of this technology.
Benefits of VR used for psychological use such as social cognition training for autism, PTSD treatment, exposure therapy, brain damage assessment and rehabilitation are immeasurable. For people with mental issues, this has an opportunity to bring some normalcy in their lives. Another industry that would benefit tremendously on this technology is the medical industry. There are so many applications that could benefit this industry but for this purpose we will narrow it down to two which is surgical training and psychological use. According to thinkmobile.com, which is one of the few articles that we could find having cost structure of the software development, a 3D max in VR could cost between $50,000 and $200,000. We would assume that the surgical training VR software would be at the higher end of the cost due to the complexity of the human body. As for software for psy34 |
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__________________ The ultimate benefit of this technology is saving lives, which is immeasurable, and eventually some cost saving for the patient, as hospitals gain efficiency with the use of this technology. __________________ Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS Advances in Virtual Reality brought about ethical issues related to human behavior and our justice system. The main issue that affect human behavior is how the advances of technology desensitize our moral compass. Another issue is governance of the law inside a made-up environment which virtual reality created.
Desensitization In psychology, desensitization is defined as the diminished emotional response to a negative, aversive or positive stimulus after repeated exposure to it. There have been concerns about the possible relationship between virtual reality and desensitization. This refers to virtual reality games in which there are high levels of violence or training exercises for the military in which soldiers engage in simulated combat scenarios which include killing. Last February of 2017, President Trump told the Florida’s attorney general as a response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting where 17 people died and others wounded, “I’m hearing that more and
more people say the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people’s thoughts”. This is not to claim that violent video games are the primary reason for mass shooting in the United States or any part in the world. There is no scientific evidence that confirms or disconfirms this assumption. What researchers have proven, like that from a widely cited 2010 meta-analysis published in Psychological Bulletin, is that there is link between violent video games and heightened psychological arousal which may be a precursor to aggressive behavior. Figure 2 below shows the Top 10 selling video games of 2017. Six games out of the Top 10 have Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) of “Mature” or “Adults Only”. Interestingly, Grand Theft Auto V is a game that sold over 61.74 million dollars in sales promotes melee attacks, firearms and explosive to fight enemies. Players of this game can role play as criminals in the game’s virtual environment.
Figure2. Top Selling Video Games of 2017. Data published from http://www.vgchartz.com
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Advances in technology increased the realism that we get from the games that we play. Figure 3 shows the graphical development of the game, Doom. In just 2 decades, game developers evolved a pixelated environment to a more realistic life-like feel. According the research of Marina Krcmar, associate professor of communication at Wake Forest, who studies the impact of video games on children and teens, said, “Great realism leads to greater immersion; greater immersion leads to greater effects. One of those effects can be increased aggression.”. Immersion is one of the key goals of virtual reality without being in the physical environment it mimics. As games and media becomes more realistic and have increased immersion of human experiences through virtual reality, we have to be carefully watch its influence in our daily lives. We do not want to
wake up in a society with increased aggressive thoughts and actions, decreased empathy and desensitization to violence.
Virtual Criminality One of the biggest threats to the Virtual Reality technology is the commitment of a “crime” in that environment. Since it is a virtual reality, questions of who really governs that world are put into question. Jurisdiction of laws that governs the physical world are now impossible to apply. The tension is that if it can be scientifically proven that someone can suffer an injury or mental distress as a result of a violent action out in a virtual environment. And if this does happen is the perpetrator punished in a similar way to someone who commits this action
1993
Figure 3. Graphical Develo
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in the real world?
the Data Privacy Act of 2012, which aims to protect individual personal data in inforRight now, common crimes that occur in the mation and communication systems in both virtual worlds, includes money-laundering, government and private sector. theft of intellectual property, exchange of child abuse images and even suspected ter- The advantage of Virtual Reality still eclipse rorist activities. the disadvantages of this technology as a whole. The modern world needs to adapt In the Philippines, there are two (2) new laws and find ways to govern this new environthat aims to prepare our country for the ment to safeguard morality and justice. cyber age. First is Republic Act No. 10175 also __________________ known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which aims to address legal issues conWhat researchers have proven is that cerning crimes such as cybersquatting, cybersex, child pornography, identity theft, ilthere is link between violent video legal access to data and libel. Unfortunately, games and heightened psychological on May 24, 2013, the contentious provision arousal which may be a precursor to of online libel has been dropped. Critics of this action connects this as the primary reaaggressive behavior. son for the increase of fake news online. Sec__________________ ond is Republic Act of 10173 also known as
2016
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NATION BUILDING Virtual Reality Technology has a vast potential to uplift the lives of people globally, if used correctly. We have already started seeing the usage of this technology in healthcare, education or training and in disaster management, albeit still limited to the First World countries. If more funding and support can be brought in, the potential for the VR technology change everyday lives can be realized.
Healthcare In healthcare, we have seen the usage of VR in training of doctors and nurses using simulations, wherein they can interact with 3D patients. It can also be used as a diagnostic tool that is more cost efficient that the regular MRIs and CT Scans. VR can also be used in surgery wherein there is a minimal or zero room for error. With the use of VR in surgery, is saves time and risks associated with it. This can be beneficial to developing countries, wherein there are limited resources, especially in far flung places.
Disaster Management One of the most life-saving usage of VR can be in disaster management. Especially in our country where we have dozens of typhoons annually, this tool can be used in the timely evacuation and rescue of people in disaster areas. VR can be used to simulate the course of the typhoon and pinpoint the exact areas where it will hit. Evacuation can be done in a timely manner, avoiding potential casualties. In the event of catastrophe such as Yolanda or Ondoy, Search and Rescue Operations can also use VR to scan the area and simulate the building plans that will help rescue workers pinpoint where possible survivors maybe. VR Technology can also be used in disaster preparedness trainings, where simulations of disasters can help rescue workers as well as individuals feel how a real-life disaster and how they respond to it. With VR trainings, it provides a hands on experience but at same time it is in a safe and effective environment that is cost efficient.
Education or Training
CONCLUSION
VR Technology has also been used in education to enrich how schools teach children. Currently, it is mostly used in classroom in developed countries such as the US and UK; however, developing countries such as the Philippines can benefit from the use of this technology as well. One of the recurring problems of our education system in the country is the lack of resources – classrooms, teachers and teaching materials. With VR, teachers can teach more students especially in hard to reach areas, with lower cost in the long run.
Virtual Reality is a powerful technology that can potentially change our day to day lives. As with other emerging technologies, VR can cause some harm, if abused. However, this should not dissuade us from exploring and developing it more. VR can disrupt how industries do their business and can bring unlimited benefits to people. Funding and support from governments and private institutions are critical to its success and to ensure that it will trickle down to marginalized communities.
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Group Members: Arollado, Joffre Chua, Mark Oliver Garcia, Ma. Angeline Lagos, Glenn Nolla, Joseph Penalosa, Joel Sahagun, Lloyd Vergara, Cecilia
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Emerging Technology:
Digital Twin
INTRODUCTION What is digital twin? A digital twin refers to a digital representation or replica of physical assets, processes and systems that can be used for various purposes. Using artificial intelligence, machine learning and software analytics combined with data, a digital twin is a living digital simulation model of an actual physical thing that updates and changes as its physical counterpart changes. The digital twin mirrors its physical counterpart as it went through its entire life cycle from creation, production (manufacture), operation (sustainment/ support), to disposal.
The premise driving the model was that each system consisted of two systems - the physical system that has always existed and a new virtual system that contained all of the information about the physical system. This meant that there was a mirroring or twinning of systems between what existed in real space to what existed in virtual space and vice versa.
A digital twin uses various sources to continuously learn and update itself to represent its near real-time status, working condition or position. The system is able to learn from itself using sensor data that conveys various Product Lifecycle Management aspects of its operating condition, from hu- Figure 1. Conceptual Ideal for (PLM) man experts, from other similar machines, and from the environment in which it may be The above diagram shows the original slide a part of. It also integrates historical data presented by Dr. Grieves in 2002 as he introfrom past machine usage into its digital duced PLM. model.
History of the digital twin The concept of digital twin originated from a presentation entitled “Conceptual Ideal for Product Lifecycle Management” delivered by Dr. Michael Grieves of the University of Michigan in 2002. Although it wasn’t referred to as digital twin back then, Dr. Grieves’s concept had all the elements of digital twin - real space, virtual space, the link for information flow from virtual space to real space and virtual sub-spaces. Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
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TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION The process and technology The digital twin concept is built on three pillars: 1. A physical product in real space, 2. A virtual product in virtual space, 3. The connection of data and information that ties the virtual and real products together.
Since the model was introduced, there have been changes and increases in the amount, richness and fidelity of information of both the physical and virtual products. For example, on the virtual side, numerous behavioral characteristics were added so that the product can not only be visualized, but also tested for performance capabilities. On the physical side, more exact details of the physical product could be collected to provide more accurate virtual copies of the real things. Albeit a very expensive endeav-
or, the process was justified economically as it enabled automakers, for example, to accurately simulate crash tests (Grieves, 2016).
Benefits of digital twin The main benefit of the digital twin is to provide an integrated outlook of any project, to any user, at any point of the product lifetime. Moreover, digital twin technology has the potential to radically change the design, manufacturing, sales, and maintenance of complex products in multiple industries. Thanks to lean development cycles and increased collaboration, both internally and with external partners and suppliers, companies have been able to cut development time on complex products by 25%, with cost savings of 10–15% (Shilova, 2017). With realtime mirroring, engineers can simulate the behavior of complex systems to predict and prevent mechanical breakdowns.
Image retrieved from https://mspoweruser.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ge-turbines.jpg
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Summarizing the main benefits: • • • • •
Reduce the operating cost; Extend the life of equipment and assets; Efficient production control; Assessment of a system’s current and future capabilities during its lifecycle; Early discovery of system performance
• •
deficiencies by simulating results way before physical processes and product are developed; Optimization of operability, manufacturability and sustainability; Continuous refinement of designs and models through data captured and easy cross-reference to design details.
TRENDS IN THE TECHNOLOGY
Figure 2. Digital Twin Technology Trends and Benefits in Motion Image retrieved from https://40uu5c99f3a2ja7s7miveqgqu-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Digital-twin-technology-trends-and-benefitsin-motion-digital-twin-predictions-2018-and-beyond.jpg
The digital twin technology has come a long way from when it was first conceived in 2002 at the University of Michigan. The application of the digital twin in IoT and IIoT along with its digitization capabilities - data management, analytics and AI - spurred its acceleration and wide applications in various industries. This, together with lowering costs of technology introduced new possibilities for the use of digital twin.
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Sooner than later, the importance of digital twin will be seen in other industries aside from the heavy industries of manufacturing, aeronautics and shipping as conceptualized in Figure 2. Specifically, it will expand its reach from expensive assets, products and constructions to more “simple” physical products as technology costs keep dropping. Digital twins will increasingly become used in areas such as smart cities, building manage-
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ment/smart buildings, healthcare even con- designs through cloud-based crowdsourcing, sumer goods. A digital twin of a product can virtual reality and the mentioned product virbe made available to engage consumers in tualization (Grabb et al, 2016). __________________ product usage, customer behavior and preferences. This way, marketing can also get involved on top of training, service teams, The main benefit of the digital engineers, designers and so forth. Product virtualization will also play a role in customer-driven design. Various experts predict that by 2019, half of all manufacturers are expected to work directly with customers and consumers on improved product
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twin is to provide an integrated outlook of any project, to any user, at any point of the product lifetime. __________________
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Figure 3. Predictions on Trends and Benefits of Digital Twin Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
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SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS
• • • •
Allows virtual simulation Reduce product defects and production costs Minimize carbon footprint Integrated training not just for one side of operations
WEAKNESSES
•
Have huge potential benefits, but creating and maintaining them can be both risky and difficult
•
Compatibility issue with regards to model & operations
•
Perceived as being costly
OPPORTUNITIES •
•
•
•
Growing awareness and importance in the digital transformation of manufacturing and industrial markets, including smart supply chain management In the near future, It can ‘simplify’ physical products as technology costs keep dropping. By 2019, half of all manufacturers are expected to work directly with customers and consumers on improved product designs through cloud-based crowdsourcing, virtual reality and the mentioned product virtualization. Nation-building programs
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THREATS
•
Technology can change so fast (simulation vs. virtual reality)
•
Simulation do not match all of actual scenarios (accidents can still happen)
•
Privacy / data security
•
Risk of overreliance on technology
•
Ethical implications
Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
INDUSTRY APPLICATION As Digital Twin is a digital replica or a living model of physical asset, process or system, it could be used for various purposes, and has now been fast becoming a business imperative for a number of industries with varying applications.
Manufacturing: General Electric (GE) is using Digital Twin for industrial asset optimization through optimized performance and minimized lifecycle cost. It uses digital twin to reduce maintenance cost on its GE90 aircraft engine. Data collected during flights allow GE to predict the cumulated damage to the engine so the engine need not be taken out of service during inspection. “The digital twin is creating the cloud-based data economy.” GE’s Vice President on Software Research Collin Parris explained that how software-based twins of
physical assets will allow industry users to optimize performance and minimized lifecycle costs.
Aerospace & Geographic Information: Aside from complex simulation spacecrafts for decades, NASA’s Langley Research Center’s Geographic Information System (GIS) created a digital twin of the 764-acre center which houses testing facilities including tunnels used to study and improve aircraft and spacecraft safety and performance. The digital 3D model helps in the real property management; efficiently allocating space within and across campus buildings; navigate maintenance staff and personnel down roads, paths and hallways by care, electric card, bicycle or on foot; and perform flood impact analysis and preparedness scenarios for weather events.
Image retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/IBMIoT/ibm-watson-internet-of-things-introducing-digital-twin
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helps optimize the operations of devices or systems, save money by reducing unplanned Tesla is applying the same concept as GE to downtime and enable engineers to test soluits cars. On a daily basis, a car reports back tions virtually before doing physical repairs. its daily experience and those data are used to simulate programs on the digital twin to check on anomalies and corresponding cor- Telecommunication: rective actions. Tesla declares that it gets the Nokia is using digital twin in the form of geoequivalent of 1.6 million miles a day of driv- location tools, predictive analysis and map ing experience, which are later fed back to cityscapes in 3D and location or vegetation each car in a continuous learning process. and trees that may affect radio signals.
Automotive:
Image retrieved from https://res.cloudinary.com/engineering-com/image/upload/_640,h_640,c_limit,q_auto,f_auto/1_Raealizing_the_digital_twin_n3uj3b.jpg
Engineering: ANSYS uses Industrial Internet of Things (IloT) that enables to engineers to communicate with sensors and actuators on an operating product to capture data and monitor the operating parameters. This results to a digital twin of the physical product or process, such as of the wind turbine, that could be used to monitor real-time prescriptive and test predictive maintenance to optimize asset performance. This way of engineering simulation eliminates the need to build multiple prototypes prior to product launch. It 48 |
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Digital Twin will be used as a representation of real world (physical environment, usage at different locations, mapping, buildings, vegetation lifecycles and historical weather conditions) to address the accelerated trend and demand on IoT and 5G services in the future.’
Medicine: Dassault Systemes’ 3D Solutions released a digital twin of the heart, called The Living Heart, created by combining 208,561 tetrahedrons containing electrical and muscular properties. Through simulation and manipuHypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
Image retrieved from http://beyondplm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ge-reports-digital-twin.jpg
lation of properties, a patient’s replica can be created and the consequences of each change in the composition of properties can be determined. In the health care industry, digital twin of a human could be created organ by organ, and could potential pave the way for a highly personalized diagnostic model that could predict illnesses and find solutions to extend life through lifestyle changes
Education: Companies partner with universities worldwide to organize competitions among students to engage them in real world application of digital twin technology. In the process, the company gain insights from the students while the latter also develop their cognitive and innovation skills. Some examples of the competitions held are the Siemens Global University Challenge last August 2017 in Siemen’s gas turbine manufacturing facility in Berlin, Germany and the World SoHypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
lar Car Challenge last September 2017 in Australia.
Transportation: Another example that is very much familiar with most of us is the popular GPS Navigation Software, Waze. The said application also uses digital twin technology in order to provide traffic update and recommendations.
Nautical: The Norwegian Training Center was opened in Manila with the objective of providing a world-class training environment for seafarers. The sophisticated center uses digital twin technology in simulating different sea scenarios and the actual features of the ships to help develop the sea skills of the seafarer. Thereby avoiding catastrophic events affecting humans, vessels and the environment.
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COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS A digital twin is a dynamic set of smart mod- Benefits: els to help an organization virtually design, • 15-20% decrease in docking costs validate and optimize a physical product, • Efficiency Enhancement – Long stretch production process or performance. Develof incidence free operation oping a digital twin technology in one’s or10-20% reduction in maintenance cost – ganization use up a significant amount of • Decrease in paint consumption staff time and money. • Better fuel management – 2-3 % of reduction in bunkering cost When an organization is making a purchase Increased equipment useful life – doudecision, cost-benefit analysis is useful for • bling life time of equipment due to the organization to know whether the capital proper maintenance on board investment is worth investing on. Below therefore is a list of costs and benefits The researchers decided to look beyond the of investing in a digital twin similar to that of acquisition costs and monetary gains resulting from this emerging technology which the Norwegian Training Center: NTC adopted. More than cost savings, the group evaluated this emerging technology Table 1. Total Cost of Ownership based on the organization underlying misExpense sion on why this technology was developed Amount in terms of creating impact or what we call Acquisition Cost $4M Social Return on Investment (SRoI). Implementation Cost
$1M
Social Return on Investment (SRoI):
Maintenance Cost
$200K/year
Is defined as a method for measuring values that are not traditionally reflected in financial statements, including social, economic and environmental factors, which can identify how effectively an organization uses its capital and other resources to create value for the community.
Table 2.
Elements of SRoI
Inputs
Total Cost of Ownership
Outputs
Benefits (direct and indirect)
Outcomes
The improved quality of life of NTC scholars, high morale of employees due to better technology
Impact
The number of scholars who graduated and are now gainfully employed
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To compute for SRoI: SROI = (social impact value – initial investment amount) / initial investment amount *100%)
Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS The Digital Twin technology has many benefits attached to its name, to mention a few: it reduces costs arising from real world accidents, it is capable of full-view virtual simulations resulting in more accurate real life outcomes, and it leaves a small carbon footprint in the world due to its virtual nature. One could argue however that the use of this technology could cause massive ethical implications in our world today.
An industry leader using Digital twin to lessen the overall cost in the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process succeeds but in doing so creates more wastage in terms of chemical pollution due to longer production hours. Is it ethical to continue do so? This technology’s advantages still rely on the
Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
goals set by its users. Although it may seem like it saves money during the conceptualization or inside the Digital twin’s virtual simulation, real life outcomes might still yield negative implications if the users of the technology turn a blind eye towards the abuse of resources for more profit.
__________________ If human digital twins, with its self-learning and self-improving capabilities at a more efficient pace, results to a better version of an individual, what happens to the value and meaning of the real human in the physical world? __________________
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In sports and competitions, the use of Digital twin to gain an advantage over his or her opponents when there are no concrete rules regulating the use of this technology. Is it still ethical if the win rates of those using Digital twins will increase while the rest of the participants consistently loss matches? Like in the case of performance enhancing drugs (PED), some sportsmen used legal PEDs during main events and garnered millions worth of prizes but years later the same PEDs are banned. Emerging technology in the same way is an unknown variable when it comes to contests, should participants be able to freely use this for their benefit without any sense of guilt? Clearly the use of Digital twins should be regulated when used in sports and in other aspects as well. Fair grounds on whether all participants can afford a digital twin for human enhancement should be considered.
Digital twin use in lifestyle, more specifically health has massive ethical implications. For one, the data recorded by the Digital twins is already a debate in itself. Is it private infor-
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mation? Is the data privacy act enough to protect all users from all forms of piracy of data? The rise of Internet of Things devices increase the chances that a static law is not enough to protect all users for harm. As users of Digital twins we should be aware of how to use the information given to us. Discrimination is another implication for the use of this technology. As a health metric, the Digital twin will create a new classification or potential factor for numerous endeavors. Employers looking at Digital twin records to see which applicants to hire and to assign them specific tasks. But are these data enough to justify a person’s passion, will and perseverance? What if the job recommended for him due to his skills data or potential is not something he is excited or passionate about? How about applicants who are willing to persevere in any tasks to prove their worth but were not given a chance because their Digital twin data shows they are less of a candidate than the others who may or may not be as driven. Potential love interests will look into Digital twins to see if they are compatible with another person. People who have or do not have Digital twins will be labelled good or bad. Socio economic equality will change due to the possibility that as a health metric, the Digital twin will either balance out or tilt even further the gaps of society. Are those who can only afford the technology be worth the benefits of healthcare improvements through Digital twin? Lastly, if human digital twins, with its selflearning and self-improving capabilities at a more efficient pace, results to a better version of an individual, what happens to the value and meaning of the real human in the physical world?
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NATION BUILDING
Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA) Cadet Program Norwegian Training Center-Manila
In the advancement of technology, it is easy to overlook certain aspects of life in order to progress in today’s world. Digital twins, used with the proper motivation, can create plenty of opportunities for the development of the nation. One example of this is the work done by Norwegian Training Center-Manila (NTC) where they employ Filipinos who meet the criterion to become captains of their own ships. NTC provides scholarship opportunities as well as other incentives to those who dream of becoming seafarers. They train these individuals using top of the line Digital twin technology equipping them with the skills and experiences needed to weather any storm or harsh environment. This top level education given to Filipinos will ensure each of them a comfortable life for the foreseeable future. Of course NTC benefits from the steady stream of maritime individuals but at the same time they also help uplift the lives of Hypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
Filipinos nationwide. Other applications of Digital twin that can be used for nation building are Healthcare and Human Resource Management. With the adaptation Digital twins in our private and public hospitals, health care processes in the country will speed up dramatically. Doctors’ diagnosis become instant and more accurate with the dense amounts of data at their disposal. As a result, the country will have a health system much more reliable than its predecessor. In line with Human Resource Management, the use of Digital twins to assess potential new hires or currently employed individuals and assign them specific tasks that are aligned with their strengths creates a system that is more efficient. This in turn could help improve the current system where in employees will move up or along the ranks more fluidly leaving their old responsibilities to new personnel. More upward movement for people with talent Emerging Technology
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means more job opportunities to be filled in flow, urban planning and development, comall levels of industry and business not just in munication platform, energy consumption, the country but in the world. waste management, people movement, etc. __________________ as the virtual twin of the city will help provide the data for policymakers and urban planners to make informed decisions. Socio economic equality will
change due to the possibility that as a health metric, the Digital twin will either balance out or tilt even further the gaps of society. __________________ Providing a safer environment and more disaster resilient nation is also a foreseeable nation building implication of digital twinning technology. Virtual simulations for disaster and risk reduction on natural phenomenon and other destructive interventions can help the government prepare its nation. It can also address other governance issues in traffic
CONCLUSION As digital twin applications and uses grow along with the decrease in cost of technology, we will see more and more of it as it becomes more commercially viable. It is the hope of the group that as with any technological advancements, the ethical and nation building aspects are always put into primary consideration, benefiting mankind as a whole.
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Group Members: Baldo, Ida Monica De Leon, Glory Jardenil, Mary Joana Mijares, Marlinda Ong, Vallerie Lelita Ricafort, Ma. Consuelo Sarmiento, Eric Wong, Jonathan Zachary 56 |
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GROUP 1 REFERENCES: Buban, C. E., & Socao-Alumno, J. (2012, May 26). PH leads way to stem cell therapy. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Inquirer.net: http://business.inquirer.net/61629/ph-leads-way-tostem-cell-therapy Calabazilla.com. (2017, October 4). Private umbilical cord blood banking in the Philippines: Yea or nay? Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Calabazilla.com: http:// calabazilla.com/2017/10/04/private-umbilical-cord-bloodbanking-philippines-yea-nay Cancer Research UK. (2018). Worldwide Cancer Mortality Statistics. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Cancer Research UK: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/ cancer-statistics/worldwide-cancer/mortality Casey, M., & Hackett, R. (2014, November 14). The 10 biggest R&D spenders worldwide. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from Fortune.com: http://fortune.com/2014/11/17/top-10-researchdevelopment Clarke, S., & Newbert, A. (2010). Stem Cell Research and its Applications. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Microbiology Spring 2010: https:// microbiologyspring2010.wikispaces.com/ Stem+Cell+Research+and+its+Applications CordBloodBanking.com. (2018). Cord Blood Banking Success Stories. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from CordBloodBanking.com: https://www.cordbloodbanking.com/banking/ success-stories Cordlife. (n.d.). Pricing. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from cordlife.ph: https://www.cordlife.ph/convenient-paymentmodes Dumlao-Abadilla, D. (2016, August 27). Insurance product covers Pinoys’ most critical illnesses. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Philippine Daily Inquirer: http:// business.inquirer.net/214144/insurance-product-coverspinoys-critical-illnesses EuroStemCell. (2018). Alzheimer's Disease: How Could Stem Cells Help? Retrieved May 11, 2018, from EuroStemCell.org: https://www.eurostemcell.org/alzheimers-disease-howcould-stem-cells-help Lopes, A. G., Sinclair, A., & Frohlich, B. (2018, March 27). Cost Analysis of Cell Therapy Manufacture: Autologous Cell Therapies, Part 1. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from Bio Process International: http://www.bioprocessintl.com/manufacturing/cell -therapies/analysis-cost-of-cell-therapy-manufacturingautologous-cell-therapies-part-1 McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. (2018). What is Regenerative Medicine? Retrieved May 11, 2018, from McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine: https:// www.mirm.pitt.edu/about-us/what-is-regenerativemedicine Office of the Secretary, Department of Health. (2013, March 18). Administrative Order No. 2013-0012: Rules and Regula-
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tions Governing the Accreditation of Health Facilities Engaging in Human Stem Cell and Cell-Based or Cellular Therapies in the Philippines. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Food and Drug Administration Philippines: https:// ww2.fda.gov.ph/attachments/article/38686/STEM% 20CELL%20AO.pdf Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. (2013, August 23). PhilHealth, not paying stem cell therapy. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Philhealth.gov.ph: https:// www.philhealth.gov.ph/news/2013/notpaying_therapy.html Philippine Star. (2014, February 11). Stem cell medical practice now regulated. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Philippine Council for Health Research and Development: http:// www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/library-healthnews/2569-stem-cell-medical-practice-now-regulated Philippine Statistics Authority. (2016). Deaths in the Philippines. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from psa.gov.ph: https:// psa.gov.ph/content/deaths-philippines-2016 Philippine Statistics Authority. (2016). Labor Productivity Statistics. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from psa.gov.ph: https:// psa.gov.ph/labor-productivity Prudour Private Limited. (2018). Global Cord Blood Stem Cells Market Analysis, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, Threats, Trends, Applications, And Growth Forecast To 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from MarketResearch.biz: https:// marketresearch.biz/report/cord-blood-stem-cells-market Reyes, J. V. (2015, July 15). How life insurance can help you today. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Rappler.com: https:// www.rappler.com/brandrap/brighter-life/71935-how-lifeinsurance-help-you-today Sanganalmath, S. K., & Bolli, R. (2013, June 7). Cell Therapy for Heart Failure. Circulation Research, 811. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from Circulation Research: http:// circres.ahajournals.org/content/113/6/810 Stem Cell Training, Inc. (2018, April 27). Stem Cell Training Signs Agreement to Provide Onsite Regenerative Medicine Training Worldwide. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from kake.com: http://www.kake.com/story/38060050/stem-celltraining-signs-agreement-to-provide-onsite-regenerativemedicine-training-worldwide UC Regents. (2016). Cancer. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from UCLA Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research: https://stemcell.ucla.edu/cancer
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GROUP 2 REFERENCES: Virtual Reality Society (2017) What is Virtual Reality?. Retrieved from https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/what-isvirtual-reality.html Weinbaum, Stanley G. (1935) Pygmalion’s Spectacles. Retrieved from http://www.historyofinformation.com/ expanded.php?id=4543 Tokareva, Julia (2018, Feb 2) The Difference Between Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality And Mixed Reality. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/02/02/thedifference-between-virtual-reality-augmented-reality-andmixed-reality/#5b587a2d2d07 Intel (n.d.) Virtual Reality Vs. Augmented Reality Vs. Mixed Reality. Retrieved from https://www.intel.com/content/ www/us/en/tech-tips-and-tricks/virtual-reality-vsaugmented-reality.html
Barnard, Dominic (2017, June 8) What Industries Will Virtual Reality (VR) Disrupt?. Retrieved from https:// www.quora.com/What-industries-will-virtual-reality-VRdisrupt Virtual Reality (2018) How Much Does VR Application Development Cost?. Retrieved from https://thinkmobiles.com/blog/ how-much-vr-application-development-cost/ Revizto (2018) Next Generation BIM Coordination. Retrieved from https://revizto.com/en/ Kentucky University Online (2016, July) How The Department of Homeland Security Can Use Virtual Reality For Disaster Response Training. Retrieved from https:// safetymanagement.eku.edu/resources/infographics/howthe-department-of-homeland-security-can-use-virtualreality-for-disaster-response-training/
GROUP 3 REFERENCES: Grieves, Michael. (2016). Origins of the Digital Twin Concept. 10.13140/RG.2.2.26367.61609. Retrieved from https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/307509727 _Origins_of_the_Digital_Twin_Concept Grabb, Mark L., Kalitan, Danielle M., Laflen, J. Brandon, and Parris, Collin J. (2016). Infosys Insights (The Future for Industrial Services: The Digital Twin). Retrieved from https:// www.infosys.com/insights/services-being-digital/ Documents/future-industrial-digital.pdf Official Website of National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (n.d.) Retrieved May 9, 2019, from https:// www.nasa.gov Lukens, Sarah. (n.d.). A Digital Twin Approach for Designing Cost-effective Maintenance Strategies. Retrieved from https://www.ge.com/digital/blog/digital-twin-approachdesigning-cost-effective-maintenance-strategies JenB. (2017). The Digital Twin Goes to Uni – Siemens Global University Challenge Pushes Students to Innovate. Retrieved from http:// community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/AcademicNews/The-Digital-Twin-Goes-to-Uni-Siemens-GlobalUniversity-Challenge/ba-p/429379 Theo1. (2017). Siemens digital twin technology is helping students race across Australia. Retrieved from http:// community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/AcademicNews/Siemens-digital-twin-technology-is-helping-students -race-across/ba-p/429845 Busetto, G. (2015). Driving the Digital Enterprise: the Maserati success case. Retrieved from http://www.usa.siemens.com/ digitalization/public/images/maserati-case-digitalization596x335.jpg Boxall, A. (2016). Tesla gains one million miles of self-driving data every 10 hours. Retrieved from http:// www.digitaltrends.com/cars/tesla-constant-cellular-testsautonomy/ Digital Twin Technology in the Pharma Industry – Going from Buzz to Value Creation. (n.d.) [Article] Retrieved from http://www.totalbiopharma.com/2016/09/09/digitaltwin-technology-pharma-industry-going-buzz-valueHypertech Issue INFOTE R34 April-June 2018
creation/ The Royal Society. (2017). The Virtual Physiological Human – a 'digital twin' for patients. Retrieved from http:// medicalxpress.com/news/2017-12-virtual-physiologicalhuman-digital-twin.html Brigham, JC and Overton, Jerru. (2016). The Digital Twin: DataDriven Simulations Innovate the Manufacturing Process. Retrieved from https://assets1.csc.com/big_data/ downloads/MD_9726a17_Digital_Twin_White_Paper_v5.pdf Digital Twin. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ansys.com/ products/systems/digital-twin Official Website of General Electric. (n.d.) Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://www.ge.com Kamlet, Matt. (2016, December 6). NASA X-57 simulator prepares pilots, engineers for flight of electric X-plane. [Article]. Retrieved from http://www.terradaily.com/ reports/ NASA_X_57_simulator_prepares_pilots_engineers_for_flig ht_of_electric_X_plane_999.html Margarita Shilova. (2017, July 26). Digital Twin as a Strategic Technology Trend: Meaning, Benefits & Examples. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://datafloq.com/read/digitaltwin-as-a-strategic-technology-trend/3377 Burrell, Andrew. (2018, April 25). Digital twin technology: double up to meet the challenges of IoT & 5G. Retrieved from http://www.nokia.com/en_int/blog/digital-twin-technology -double-meet-challenges-iot-5g Wallis, Patrick. (2018, May 4). How NASA Mapped and Modeled Langley’s Digital Twin. Retrieved from https:// www.esri.com/about/newsroom/blog/nasa-langleys-% 20digital-twin/ Digital Twin. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_twin Image accessed May 9, 2018. http://www.usa.siemens.com/ digitalization/public/images/maserati-case-digitalization596x335.jpg Official Website of Waze. (n.d.) Retrieved May 10, 2018, from https://www.waze.com/livemap Emerging Technology
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INFOTE R34 April-
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E-Magazine Published by: INFOTE R34 | S.Y. 2017-2018 | April-June 2018 Ateneo Graduate School of Business