Why create digital twin cities

Although the concept of "smart cities" has been around for a long time, creating a digital twin offers higher-level benefits.

Such a twin can use drones, sensors, mobile devices, and traffic cameras to gather and process data from a real-world city in real time. It is adept at using IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and blockchain technology to store data.

Some cities are already using digital twins to make strategic decisions about the development of metropolises.

Virtual twins are extremely detailed and include every part of the infrastructure:

This has a significant impact on urban planning because it clearly shows how to improve energy efficiency, plan new interchanges, identify high-emission areas, and so on.

City officials can strategically test digital twins by simulating natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods. It will assist them in determining whether the physical structure is capable of withstanding such loads. 

Twins of large metropolises are already appearing in the closed areas of metaverses. Their creators employ various systems and technologies, but the essence remains the same: a digital copy must accurately reproduce important infrastructure details.

Its developers used 3D Metaverse City spatial mapping technology based on Nextech's ARway. A virtual model of London was created to explore the possibilities of AR advertising, AR portals, and holograms of art objects. In the future, the digital version of the British capital will host exhibitions, meetings, and conferences related to cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

Santa Monica is the first American city to explore the Metaverse technology. The city has collaborated with FlickPlay to develop a game that allows players to earn digital collectibles and tokens that can be exchanged at local retail stores. FlickPlay is part of the Disney program.

Installing the app allows users to explore Santa Monica attractions and earn reward tokens. Some quest rewards include additional in-app filters.

Columbia University launched the Hybrid Twins for Urban Transportation project in 2021 to create virtual reality mockups of key New York City locations. The city makes use of real-time data gathered from sensors installed in strategic areas. The project aims to reduce traffic flows at difficult intersections through the use of machine learning.

Tokyo City Hall announced in 2022 that it would begin developing a digital twin to replicate the capital's busy streets in the metaverse. They will predict the possibility of traffic jams and emergencies, as well as evaluate street lighting and the effectiveness of advertising on buildings, by using various sensors placed throughout the city. The government has stated that the project will be completed by 2030.

Seoul, South Korea's capital, revealed its metaverse ambitions last fall. The project's preliminary budget was set at $3 million. It aims to replicate the city's important tourist attractions and social centers in the metaverse.

The implementation of Metaverse Seoul is part of the Vision 2030 plan, which is funded and overseen by the city’s mayor. Virtual reality glasses will allow interaction with virtual replicas of city officials. Visitors will be able to visit tourist attractions and enjoy concerts in a digital environment.

The city intends to provide additional services in the metaverse, such as the Seoul Lantern Festival, beginning in 2023.

Singapore accepted the idea of the digital twin back in 2015. It is a pioneer city that has adopted the technology of the metaverse. Singapore is an island country, so locals are constantly concerned about potential catastrophes brought on by global warming. The effect of weather on the urban environment is being tested on the digital island.

They have already developed a framework for analyzing the impact of sea level rise on the city.

Furthermore, Singapore is investing heavily in metaverse-related startups. NGC Ventures has raised $100 million for a fund that will support new metaverse developments. They include the creation of digital replicas of tourist attractions and entertainment centers.

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) unveiled plans to recreate the city's metro network using a digital twin in November 2022. The algorithm combines data from all stations' sensors, calculates train movement intervals based on load, and generates maintenance schedules.

Each city employs metaverse technology for its own practical purposes. The key thing is that all digital twins can become an excellent strategic tool for the development of real-world cities.

And metaverse users will undoubtedly be interested in exploring cities that they are unlikely to visit in real life.