US-based provider of geospatial solutions, Maxar Technologies, has introduced a high-performance, geotypical 3D representation of the entire planet for smart cities, simulation, metaverse and virtual reality (VR) applications.
Developed through a partnership between Maxar and Blackshark.ai, Synth3D allows developers and creators to simulate and visualise 3D environments representative of real-world locations “where aesthetics and performance are key to commercial applications”.
This 3D “digital twin” is available in a compatible format that is representative of the geographic and building features for a given area.
Blackshark.ai creates Synth3D by applying its artificial intelligence (AI) to Maxar’s Vivid imagery basemap, a global, cloud-free, view of Earth. The AI extracts more than 1.4 billion buildings and procedurally generates them as 3D buildings.
The buildings then have geotypical textures applied, meaning specific buildings may look different in the real world, but the overall appearance of the building height and façade reflect regional archetypes, creating a lifelike model.
Delivered as a static export or rendered on the fly through numerous plug-ins and software development kits, Synth3D combines the global scalability, crisp aesthetics and high-performance rendering that next-generation simulations demand, Maxar claims.
“Maxar’s Vivid imagery basemap supercharged our development of Synth3D by providing a global 2D view that we could transform into a beautiful 3D digital twin,” said Michael Putz, CEO at Blackshark.ai. “I’m looking forward to seeing customers and developers unleash the power of Synth3D across innovative use cases.”
Maxar also said Synth3D complements Precision3D in its broader product portfolio, which provides a 3D digital twin for use cases in a variety of sectors. Precision3D offers highly accurate visualisation with precise details and geospecific building heights and facades.
“Synth3D, created from Maxar’s Vivid basemap and Blackshark.ai’s patented technology, will revolutionise how various industries build and interact with VR environments,” said Dan Nord, senior vice president and general manager of enterprise earth intelligence at Maxar.
Image: A digital twin of Barcelona created using Synth3D (credit: Maxar Technologies)
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