Digital Twins for Cities
Previously, digital twins were predominantly limited to production lines, car factories, and logistics centers. However, the concept of applying digital twins to entire cities has started to become a reality. Research teams from ITC, BS, and ET have published a research report demonstrating the usefulness of digital twins in city planning and coordination. Dr. Ville Lehtola, the lead author of the study, stated, "Digital twins can bring significant benefits to cities by enabling city administrators, residents, and businesses to access up-to-date information about the city's infrastructure and services."
The comprehensive use of digital twins in cities aims to save time, reduce costs, and make urban environments more sustainable. This requires monitoring of traffic noise, solar radiation levels, road safety, public transportation systems, waste management, as well as monitoring police and fire response times. Gathering data in these areas for the first time can dramatically improve the quality of life in cities.
While most cities are still in the hypothetical stage, the city of Birmingham in the UK has already implemented a digital twin in the eastern region of the city. The system serves as a digital "testbed" to examine the impact of smart homes, clean air zones, and local growth strategies. The fields of RTLS and digital twins are experiencing fascinating developments. This space is rapidly evolving, and market growth predictions suggest tremendous benefits not only in the manufacturing industry but also in aerospace, healthcare, and public transportation sectors.