“DigitalMe” in smart cities

Continuous monitoring of high-value equipment, such as semiconductor production equipment and jet airplane engines, has become a standard practice across myriad commercial sectors. “Digital twin” technologies enable such monitoring by providing sensor data for maintenance and other mission-critical operations in real time. While continuous monitoring has become standard in some industry, its application to monitoring healthy adults globally remains underexplored, with many individuals seeking medical care only when symptomatic. Insights gained from digital twin could be transferred to healthcare, revealing opportunities for more data-driven and personalized care.

Precision health1,2 emphasizes proactive disease prevention, early detection, and tailored treatments through individualized, longitudinal monitoring, often utilizing wearable, implantable, or home-based devices. This approach extends beyond genetics to include exposomes, digital biomarkers, and environmental data. Thus, we introduce “DigitalMe”—analogous to industrial digital twins but designed for individual health. DigitalMe is more than a data warehouse seeking to digitize all aspects of our lives. This encompasses more than just health information, including individual-generated data such as social media posts and online shopping habits. DigitalMe’s unique “micro- to macro-scale coverage” bridges the gap between personalized medicine and public health applications, transforming how cities approach healthcare planning and delivery. By understanding these insights, city planners can make informed decisions to enhance urban living standards, optimizing services like public transportation.