The future of urban life is increasingly being shaped by data. It has the potential to make the everyday lives of citizens easier, more efficient and more pleasant – in short, smarter. The data just needs to be harnessed and used. How can this be done? With digital twins. Find out exactly how in this new series of articles.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system. The mapping covers the entire life cycle of the object or system and is updated from real-time data. In addition, methods of simulation, machine learning and conclusions are used to support decision-making. It does not matter what is being simulated. Be it a building, a company, work processes and more: the digital copies can be created and used for many different purposes. Digital twins are already firmly established in industry: There, the technology is used in the design of prototypes as well as the digital replication of products, machines and factories. The aim is to optimise processes and improve results. For example, the compatibility of individual parts of an aircraft turbine or the wear and tear of components can be checked before a physical specimen is built.
What requirements are necessary for implementation?
Before a three-dimensional virtual image, for example of a city or region, can be created, it is first necessary to find all the necessary data and collect it centrally. The data must be up-to-date for the purpose. Geographic information systems (GIS) help with data collection and centralization. These are fed with data from sensors in the urban area. This creates a virtual model of the city. The model is successively enriched with corresponding information and functions in order to visualize various scenarios and simulate them in the next step. The simulations can take the form of 2D models, for example as maps, or they can be displayed as realistic 3D models.
The amount of data and personnel required for this varies depending on how extensive the project is and what goals it is pursuing. For this reason, some cities also use the option of outsourcing servers and personnel, primarily to save money and time in the implementation and maintenance of the data.
aconium GmbH can provide targeted support here: The aconium GIS platforms aim to enable the efficient digitisation of spatial data. For this purpose, the aconium GIS Hub was developed, a central application that enables the collection, processing, visualization and analysis of spatial data. It enables the linking of location-specific information with official statistics as well as national and regional databases and cadastres in clear, dynamic and interactive maps. These maps provide a valuable basis for decision-making for stakeholders in numerous federal states and support them in a variety of topics in the context of the spatial development of municipalities and regions. This enables targeted and data-based digitalisation in the public sector.
Digital twin – what are the advantages?
Many municipalities and cities are already working on implementing their digital images and are continuously expanding them on their way to becoming smart cities and smart regions.
Digital twins are used as versatile tools in urban and transportation planning. They can map the entire urban fabric with all its components, from buildings and transport networks to green spaces. As a result, the detailed and dynamic simulation of the real city in real time enables the creation of analyses, forecasts and scenario simulations as a basis for decisions and further investigations. The virtual images are already being used as decision-making aids in the development of climate adaptation measures and are used in urban land-use planning and economic development. For example, they can be used to identify areas that could be flooded during heavy rainfall events or to monitor traffic flows and parking guidance systems more efficiently. They also play an important role in disaster prevention by providing precise forecasts and real-time data to enable a better response to emergencies.
Merging information from different sources can lead to a significant acceleration of processes in city administration. A digital twin of a construction project, for example, which contains all relevant data and properties in real time, can shorten administrative processes. Instead of checking the construction plans in paper form or as static files, all administrative departments involved, such as the building department, the environmental department and urban planning, can access the digital twin, check the plans in parallel, comment on them and request adjustments – in contrast to the analog form, which runs through these stations individually and often several times. Furthermore, a digital twin can help to optimise political decision-making processes and promote citizen participation through detailed visualisations. The use of 3D models allows complex urban scenarios to be visualised, which can increase the transparency and participation of citizens.
Can cities and municipalities receive support?
There are various funding programmes and initiatives from the federal states, the federal government and at European level that can be used and have already led to successful implementations of digital twins.
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From January 2022 to June 2023, for example, the European Union (EU) supported the twi.N City project with 356,800 euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The main aim of the project was to provide reliable information on the number of visitors and attractiveness of Nuremberg’s city center by setting up and using a digital twin.
The federal government is promoting the implementation of digital twins with the Smart Cities model project, for example. The project aims to support municipalities in the digitalisation and development of intelligent, sustainable urban and regional structures. The city of Arnsberg, for example, has used the support to create a digital platform on which citizens can submit applications, find out about urban developments and be actively involved in decision-making processes. These platforms ensure greater transparency and faster processing of inquiries and concerns.
You can find out exactly how we do this, what exciting applications there are for digital twins and how we proceed with the technical creation in the upcoming articles in the newsletter.