Digital Preservation of the Endangered Vaquita

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University have created one of the most detailed digital records ever made of the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), the world’s most endangered marine mammal. Using medical CT scans, high-resolution micro-CT imaging, and digital photography, the team digitized a rare female vaquita skeleton collected in 1966, transforming it into interactive 3D models that can be explored, measured, and studied without risking damage to the fragile original specimen. The resulting datasets have been made freely available through the MorphoSource repository.

The project serves as both a scientific resource and a conservation effort for a species on the brink of extinction. Found only in Mexico’s northern Gulf of California, the vaquita has suffered a catastrophic population decline due to accidental entanglement in illegal gillnets used to catch totoaba fish. With only a handful of individuals believed to remain in the wild, the digital archive preserves invaluable anatomical information for future generations while raising awareness of the urgent need for international action to eliminate gillnet fishing and protect this critically endangered porpoise.

More information:

https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/pixels-preserve-endangered-vaquita.php

ViWAS Kick-Off Meeting

A new ambitious European initiative, the Virtual Worlds Academy of Skills (ViWAS), has been unveiled under the Digital Europe Programme, aiming to position Europe at the forefront of Web 4.0 and immersive technologies. Coordinated by Professor Fotis Liarokapis, CYENS Centre of Excellence, the project brings together a large, multidisciplinary consortium spanning over 16 countries to tackle one of Europe’s most pressing challenges: the growing shortage of advanced digital skills in virtual worlds and extended reality (XR). Through innovative, simulation-based learning environments and immersive digital twins, ViWAS will enable users to gain hands-on experience in safe, scalable, and cost-effective settings.

ViWAS will establish a pan-European training ecosystem designed to equip learners, professionals, and institutions with cutting-edge competencies in XR, artificial intelligence, and virtual environments. The ViWAS project started on the 1^st of May and the kick-off meeting took place in Paris, France between 26-27 May 2026. The Academy will function as an open, interoperable ecosystem, connecting universities, vocational training providers, industry, SMEs, and public institutions. Leveraging AI-driven personalization and advanced XR platforms, ViWAS will deliver tailored learning experiences, foster cross-sector collaboration, and support workforce upskilling and reskilling at scale.

More information:

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/projects-details/43152860/101298981/DIGITAL?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=100&sortBy=es_SortDate&keywords=101298981

Digital Twin Hearts Improve Arrhythmia Care

A recent clinical study describes a novel approach to treating ventricular tachycardia, a life-threatening heart rhythm disorder responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University created highly detailed “digital twins” of patients’ hearts using MRI scans and other personalized data. These virtual models allowed doctors to simulate different treatment strategies before performing the actual procedure, helping identify the most effective areas to target.

In a small trial of 10 patients, the results were promising: after more than a year, eight patients experienced no recurrence of arrhythmia, and most were able to stop medication. The approach may also reduce procedure time and improve safety by avoiding unnecessary damage to healthy tissue. However, researchers emphasize that this is an early-stage study, and larger trials are needed to confirm effectiveness and expand the method to other conditions such as atrial fibrillation or even cancer treatment.

More information:

https://apnews.com/article/heart-disease-arrhythmia-ventricular-tachycardia-73086c0c3df8758380bef539940fa826

3D map Covering 2.75 Billion Buildings

Scientists at Technical University of Munich (TUM) have unveiled GlobalBuildingAtlas, the first global, high-resolution 3D map of Earth’s man-made environment. The atlas covers about 2.75 billion buildings around the world, using satellite imagery from 2019 and offering a resolution roughly 30 times finer than previous global building maps. 

Each structure is represented at a fine resolution of about 3 × 3 meters, enough to estimate building height, volume, and density. Around 97% of the buildings are modelled as simplified 3D LoD1 geometries, not highly detailed, but sufficient for large-scale computational modelling.

More information:

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/first-high-resolution-3d-map

Forest Digital Twin

Scanning forests with lasers can provide three-dimensional models of forests, creating a unique way to look at these ecosystems. Researchers at the University of Helsinki are pioneers in applying this technical solution to measuring ecosystems. This technique, referred to as Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), opens new opportunities in measuring forest structure, monitoring disturbances and simulating ecosystems.

TLS provides us with a new way of looking at forests – not just from above, but from within. It helps us understand tree growth, forest responses to disturbances and the effects of forest structure on biodiversity and capacity for recovery. A deeper understanding helps researchers, decision-makers and communities to make increasingly justified decisions – and, ultimately, to better reconcile human activity with the environment.

More information:

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/climate-change/digital-twin-forests-help-new-technology

Replicating the Electrical System of the Heart

Researchers have succeeded in creating a digital twin that for the first time replicates the heart's electrical conduction system, which coordinates heartbeats. The breakthrough could pave the way for diagnosing and tailoring treatments for conditions such as arrhythmias and heart failure. Researchers developed a computer model that digitally reconstructs the Purkinje network using a standard electrocardiogram.

The goal with the heart's digital twin is for it to be used as a virtual patient, where treatments can be tested and optimized without any risk. This would allow for better planning of procedures, greater personalization and, therefore, more effective results. The team is now working on two challenges: increasing computing capacity so that each patient's digital twin can be generated almost in real time.

More information:

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2025/09/25/chile-heart-digital-twin-chile-study/1501758817726/

Digital Twins for Swimmers

Mathematics, physics and technology have revolutionized swimming. The idea is that biomechanical and hydrodynamic minutiae are variables in a complex physical and mathematical problem. By optimizing these variables, swimmers can reach near perfection. Today the advent of sensor technology has turned this idea into a reality in which mathematics and physics produce useful information so that coaches can precision-train 2024 Olympic hopefuls. The results have been enormously successful. This Summer Olympics will be the first time that nine of the elite swimmers will be guided by their digital twin. Since 2015 teams of researchers at Emory University and the University of Virginia, have been equipping swimmers with devices called inertial measurement units to record their body’s acceleration, orientation and force. Unlike typical digital video, which records 24 frames per second, these sensors capture information 512 times a second.

While the swimmers go through a battery of tests wearing these sensors on their wrists, ankles or back, the data show the impact on their acceleration from every rotation, splash, pull and kick. Advanced sensors that measure force generated by an athlete’s hands are used to measure the pressure differential between the palm and the side of the hand, revealing the direction of the force. What was previously evaluated purely by looking at the swimmer above the water can now be distilled into a series of charts and graphs that show the distribution of force in all the forward, sideways, and upward and downward directions. Force applied in any direction other than forward is wasted force. These streams of numbers are used to create an athlete’s digital twin, which captures their movements down to the millisecond. A database of digital twins from more than 100 of the best U.S. swimmers has been created.

More information:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/training-with-digital-twins-could-boost-olympic-swimmer-speeds/

Wildfire Digital Twin

NASA has unveiled its ‘Wildfire Digital Twin’ project, a sophisticated tool designed to assist firefighters and wildfire managers in monitoring fires and predicting harmful air pollution events. Current global models for describing wildfire spread and smoke movement typically have a spatial resolution of about 10 kilometers per pixel, according to NASA. However, the Wildfire Digital Twin aims to produce regional ensemble models with a substantially enhanced spatial resolution of 10 to 30 meters per pixel. These two orders of magnitude improvement allow for more accurate and detailed predictions.

These high-resolution models can be generated within minutes, a significant advancement compared to the hours required by current models. NASA's FireSense project aims to use the agency's capabilities to enhance wildfire management across the United States. This initiative focuses on developing innovative observation capabilities for predicting and managing wildfires, including systems like Earth System Digital Twins. NASA notes that the Earth System Digital Twins are dynamic software tools designed for real-time modeling and predicting climate events, utilizing data from various sources to produce ensemble predictions.

More information:

https://www.techtimes.com/articles/304876/20240522/nasa-unveils-wildfire-digital-twin-leveraging-ai-forecast-fire-smoke.htm