Application of the digital twin concept in cultural heritage
Cultural heritage has benefited for years from the availability of technology in the domain of digitalization; hence digital heritage emerged. Researchers in the cultural heritage domain have used tools and digital techniques as way to preserve historical and religious buildings so that they are everlasting in time. These are mostly viewed as autonomous attempts, rarely organized. One of the digital tools that arose from the field of product life cycle management is the digital twin, which is defined as digital representation of physical product. There is an ongoing debate whether cultural heritage can be fully viewed in terms of digital twin and if the application of the digital twin concept can be sustainable in the management of the cultural heritage environment. This paper aims to address the role of the digital twin within the cultural heritage domain and if it can be used to recreate certain phenomena or environmental situation resulting in reducing deterioration over time. This is important since heritage sites and historical buildings must be preserved for future generations.