This Wednesday, the popular real-time 3D (RT3D) engine Unity, with the Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP), created a digital twin of the region to assist with local economic and industrial growth.
The project marks the largest of its kind, simulating 800 square miles as a 3D render. The OEP will display the digital twin at its new downtown Orlando, Florida headquarters.
The project also enables the OEP to tackle issues stemming from transport, climate change, or utilities. Additionally, the model leverages real-time city data that enables the digital twin to reflect changes to the city, like construction, public engagement, and scenario planning.
In April, Dave Rhodes, the GM and senior VP of Digital Twins at Unity, added that his firm would integrate technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), simulation, and analytics to improve digital twin workflows at OEP.
Rhodes also said,
“Unity’s digital technology brings unlocks the data from its proprietary formats and makes it easy to bring anything together in one virtual experience, enabling stakeholders to collaborate, simulate and make better decisions”
Enhancing Local Development
The partnership allows the OEP to show land and real estate data to prospective clients from various verticals to assist with relocation and expansion projects.
The technology partnership aims to boost the region’s Broad-based Prosperity project to improve the region’s economy and quality of life by collaborating with local businesses, community leaders, and governments.
The President and CEO of the OEP, Tim Giuliani, said that the Unity alliance highlights Orlando’s dynamic innovation ecosystem.
He added,
“Immersive digital twin further proves our position as a region leading the development of forward-thinking tools that enhance the experience of economic development
Additionally, Orlando’s Mayor Buddy Dyer noted that the Unity partnership shows the region’s ability to host established international companies, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. He also added that the OEP and Unity partnership shows the innovation of local companies and talent.
Digital Twins for Smart Cities
The news comes after CEO and Co-Founder of Poplar Studios, David Rippert, discussed at this year’s XR Summit how enterprises use Web3 solutions to build smart cities. Rippert noted that businesses could preview 3D design work on urban planning and smart cities using digital twins.
The CEO added that surveying firms are creating rich 3D data of cities using drone footage and other geographic data.
Some surveying firms use plug-in application programme interfaces (APIs) to get real-time city information and metrics that assist city planners in making decisions through XR headsets.
For consumers, digital twin city data can assist in developing high-quality contextual augmented reality (AR) content visible through smartphones and glasses.
