In the justice industry, planning is paramount, especially during the design process. Facilities such as correctional centers, courthouses, and public safety venues must be designed with close attention to detail, as any minor oversight could jeopardize public safety and the safety of those who these facilities are designed to contain. Thankfully, advances in technology such as the digital twin have shown great promise for allowing justice industry leaders to achieve this level of efficiency and detail, shaping the design and construction and design of justice facilities for the better.
What are digital twins?
You may have heard the term “digital twin” thrown around, but what actually is a digital twin? In the simplest terms, a digital twin is a virtual recreation of a real-life asset, such as a machine. However, digital twins are so much more than merely a digital picture of a machine. They are interactive visualizations of these systems, powered by extensive amounts of data that are collected from the digital twin’s real-life counterpart.
The next question is probably, “Why should my justice facility care about digital twins?” Well, it is the duty of justice facility leaders to uphold the safety, security, and integrity not only of their facility but also of the community as a whole. You have a responsibility to both your inmates and community members to maintain a standard of excellence within your facility. As a result, many justice facilities have begun to adopt more advanced technology to power their operations. Digital twins provide a convenient, easy-to-use way to manage these technologically complex systems.
It is important to remember that justice facilities are complex systems with multiple moving parts that must uphold the highest standards in security and operational efficiency. Beyond the obvious security systems, there are also several systems that justice facilities manage, including (but not limited to) water management systems, HVAC and electrical systems, industrial kitchen facilities, industrial laundry facilities, and more. If a single system or even component is not functioning properly, it could jeopardize the safety of inmates, staff, and the community at large.
What are the benefits of using digital twins in the design and construction of justice facilities?
Digital twins can be used to represent many of the individual machines required for the successful operation of a justice facility, and when digital twins of multiple machines are connected, they can provide a great overview of the operation of entire systems or supply chains. Many digital twin systems allow leaders of justice facilities to access a dashboard that puts a wealth of data at their fingertips. Some of the things that leaders can do with this data include:
- Reduce errors: The biggest benefit of digital twin technology is that it allows users to reduce errors during the construction process. Because digital twins are in the virtual world, mistakes do not have a real-world impact (at least not at this stage). Projects can go through a series of checks and reviews to make sure that every issue has been resolved prior to construction.
- Ensure compliance: Digital twins give architects, engineers, and contractors a great way to ensure that their work is in compliance with any applicable safety and regulatory standards. Using digital twins can allow you to resolve any compliance issues before construction, after which repairs and changes can be costly and time consuming.
- Improve cost efficiency: Finally, the use of digital twin technologies can help justice facilities improve cost efficiency. Prototyping using digital twins allows engineers and contractors the opportunity to iron out mistakes and flaws before they become costly during the building process. Meanwhile, predictive maintenance allows justice facilities to keep maintenance costs down by reducing the need for outright replacement.
- Enhance collaboration: The construction and operation of justice facilities require extensive collaboration between architects, engineers, contractors, and justice agency stakeholders. Because digital twins are accessed via the metaverse, this means that users can access these digital replicas from anywhere in the world, often without the need for specialized hardware. Something as simple as a desktop computer or even a mobile phone can allow users to access these powerful digital tools.
How does using digital twins in the design and construction of justice facilities benefit the industry?
These advantages allow digital twin technology to be a powerful force in improving the efficiency of the construction process. Digital twins go far beyond blueprints, as they are accurate, interactive representations of the real-world assets they represent. In other words, users don’t just see digital twins; they can feel and interact with them in a way that accurately represents how they would interact with the real-life machine.
One of the biggest benefits of using digital twin technology during construction is that these tools allow a much lower-stakes, risk-free testing process. Digital twins create a virtual environment where designers can test new layouts or features without fear of compromising security or inmate safety. Since digital twins provide such accurate representations of their real-life counterparts, they allow designers to run simulations about how a certain device or process will affect KPIs, including efficiency and security.
However, even after a facility is built, digital twins continue to be an indispensable resource for those involved in managing the operation of justice facilities. Because their real-life counterparts are outfitted with sensors that supply a constant stream of data, this makes digital twins a great tool for continuous monitoring of systems. Teams can get reliable insights into the performance and operation of critical machinery, allowing them to act more quickly in cases of subpar performance or equipment failure.
Digital twins are the future of innovation in the justice sector
Indeed, the introduction of digital twins in the justice sector will completely revolutionize how justice facilities are designed and constructed. By creating precise, real-time digital replicas of physical spaces, digital twins allow project teams to simulate construction processes, identify potential challenges, and optimize workflows before breaking ground. The capabilities enabled by this technology, including predictive maintenance, lifecycle planning, and cost management, will become critical considerations for complex, high-security facilities.
Joseph Callahan is a serial entrepreneur, perpetual innovator, and award-winning business leader with over 30 years of experience in technology development. As CEO of Ciright, he has pioneered groundbreaking solutions across industries, holding multiple patents in digital media, IoT, fintech, and the metaverse. Callahan is a proud Drexel University graduate and has been recognized with numerous accolades, including EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year – Technology.
