A Comprehensive Review About Human Digital Twins and AI-Powered Wearables for the Oil and Gas Industry

Construction activities within the Oil and Gas Industry present many challenges and inherent dangers for workers. Many current solutions available in the market lack real-time insights and predictive capabilities for proactive decision-making and operational safety. This industry demands robust solutions to enhance safety, improve security, and increase productivity, and this is where Human Digital Twins (HDTs), Wearables, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) play an important role. HDTs aim to create a dynamic digital replica of workers, integrating data from wearables, IIoT sensors, information systems, and any other data source available, enabling continuous monitoring of physiological and cognitive conditions. Complementing HDTs, AI-powered wearables collect enriched data from embedded sensors, such as heart rate, blood oxygen, or fatigue, and integrate deep learning algorithms to predict potential incidents directly on the edge before they happen, thanks to their high computing capabilities. This review represents the state-of-the-art for HDTs and AI-powered wearables for the Oil and Gas industry. It explores current technological developments, their applications, the challenges and limitations of deploying them into a real-world project, and also synthesizes current research and industry practices, highlighting their potential in human health and safety. Additionally, it identifies future research directions to overcome existing barriers.