Earlier this month, GIS software provider Esri launched ArcGIS Reality, a platform that combines GIS with reality mapping and BIM to create the basis for digital twins.
The new software integrates existing satellite and GIS data with imagery taken from drones or crewed aircraft. This can then be linked to a BIM or CAD model to create accurate 3D maps of a site, city or country.
When layered with geospatial information such as cadastral surveys, utility networks, and real-time sensor data, these models can become digital twins of reality, says Esri.
These ‘twins’ enable better understanding of the world through analysis, asset monitoring, or even predictive simulation.
Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president, said: “Digital twins have become a critical tool for many industries, and to be effective they rely on highly accurate and up-to-date maps and 3D models derived from imagery.
“We are happy to offer this new family of products to the professionals who are digitising our world to help us all better understand it—whether their operations are large or small, local or global.”
This need to capture reality as the foundation for digital twins is expanding the aerial imaging market, which is expected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2017 to over $4 billion by 2025.
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