Digital physical technology is being applied in Vietnam in the fields of fashion, agriculture, and cultural preservation to harness the potential of the digital economy .
At the launch event of Physital Labs on October 1st, Huy Nguyen, co-founder of the startup, stated that the digital transformation revolution is bringing people closer to a point where things in physical life will occur simultaneously in the digital environment. At that point, digital physics is the next step in technology, opening a gateway connecting the real world and the digital world.
What is digital physics?
"In the digital space, only those connected to real-world values truly have value. To achieve this, every physical product needs a digital identity, just as people moving into the digital environment need a personal identifier. Digital physics will solve the problem of digital identity for everything, bridging the gap to bring a product from the real world to the Internet to unlock great value in the digital economy," Mr. Huy said.
According to Nam Do, CTO of Physital Labs, the concept of digital physics is still unfamiliar in Vietnam, but it has been discussed extensively worldwide for the past two years, after Covid-19 changed the way people work, live, and communicate online.
Mr. Nam Do, CTO of Physital Labs, talks about the applications of a physical product in the digital environment. Photo: KB
According to Techtarget , "phygital" is a term combining "physical" and "digital." It's a technology that integrates the physical and digital worlds in consumer experiences, business models, or products. Phygital represents the interaction between the real world (such as physical stores and products) and the digital world (such as mobile applications, websites, and online experiences).
The development of digital physics can bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds, enabling organizations to provide proactive and innovative services, offering market access opportunities and enhancing economic value without being limited by physical barriers. Modern technologies such as AI, blockchain, VR/AR, IoT, and cloud are all crucial components shaping the future of digital physics.
Applications of digital physics in Vietnam
Although still relatively new in Vietnam, digital physics has already been applied in several fields. For example, in agriculture , one brand has attached chips, digital identification, and traceability systems to each bag of coffee and pepper to enhance the value of Vietnamese agricultural products when exported to international markets.
In the field of handicrafts, Physital Labs collaborated with the Da Nang Department of Information and Communications to digitally identify the sculptures of Non Nuoc stone village, uploading them to a digital museum for use in various fields from education to exhibitions and trade.
According to Mr. Dinh Duc Hoang, Deputy Director of the UNESCO Information Center (UNET), the need to combine the physical and digital realms in Vietnam is already present, not a future prospect. "Digital physics can immediately address the pain points of those working in culture, creating tremendous power to tell the story of the Vietnamese people," Mr. Hoang said, recounting his practical experience when UNESCO Vietnam worked on the project of casting 200 bronze lion statues at Tran Temple.
Once the product is ready, the manufacturer prepares a brief letter explaining the meaning and value of this purely Vietnamese mythical creature, which is placed inside the box. Then, the owner receives a link to a 3D image, a scanned copy of the real-life stone mythical creature. The stories, from its patterns to its history, are compiled into a separate document and sent to the owner. Furthermore, to ensure collectors fully understand the symbolism and meaning of the creature, the project even purchases a book titled "Selected Vietnamese Mythical Creatures" to include as a gift.
"But that's not all, because the project is limited to only 200 pieces, the artisans had to engrave each person's name onto the artwork. It's too many elaborate and complex steps to convey an image of Vietnamese culture, while now, with just a 1 x 1 cm chip, Phygital Labs' technology can do all of that," Mr. Hoang said.
Representatives from the UNESCO Information Center stated that digital physics can not only be applied in the digital economy but also has great significance, making an important contribution to the preservation, development, and dissemination of cultural values, because each heritage site is "unique".
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Quang Thanh, Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Da Nang city, said that after projects such as the digital identification of Non Nuoc stone village were successfully implemented and received great support from both the people and the management agencies, Da Nang will continue to apply digital physical technology to bring more than 3,000 paintings and photographs to the digital environment in the future.
"Over time, these projects will help people see their own reflections in each digital work, directly experience the benefits of technology, and naturally develop digital habits and a digital economy. From citizens and businesses, the applications will expand to management, digital transformation of government, and the creation of smart cities," Mr. Thanh commented.
Vnexpress.net
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