Why infrastructure needs the metaverse

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For most people, using the Internet comes quite naturally, as we work, play, socialize and entertain ourselves with swipes, clicks and voice commands. And while the Metaverse is relatively new, its infrastructure benefits are so compelling that it quickly becomes natural to apply it to large construction projects. This is how it should be with the natural evolution of digital twin technology.

The beautifully blurred boundaries of technology and human experience

For me, the metaverse is best explained as a two-way interaction between the natural world and the digital world. Two-way means you can step into the digital world (you jump) for a virtual experience - much like gaming - or the digital world can come to you using touch controls, voice, gestures and eye movements. It's the metaverse (and meta means "more complete" if you're curious).

It's like a virtual time machine. The relevance of the metaverse in infrastructure is that digital twins rely on rich engineering data and multiple sources of information from the natural world, such as terrain models and environmental data, to create a realistic digital representation of a complex infrastructure project, imagined or already built. . Digital twins can track and visualize real-world conditions through Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices such as drones and sensors that capture detailed real-time data allowing you to explore past steps, present or even future of a project.

Meetings aren't boring. Imagine all the people who have to make crucial decisions on a project, sitting with their wireless virtual or mixed reality headsets, teleported inside a virtual digital twin project. Make decisions and watch "what if" in real time. Welcome to the metaverse - you can do it today. This is where the digital twins of infrastructure and the metaverse collide.

Creating calm control over the raging white water of a tall build

The benefits of the metaverse are evident when you consider that traditional construction planning typically involved 3D computer models (often multiple) to represent different aspects of construction, i.e. structural engineering , ground conditions, slope stability, traffic, atmospheric factors. , as well as separate project timelines.

Adhering to schedule with thousands of moving parts, managing materials, sequencing, coordinating labor, and the ripple effect of supply chain disruptions meant that even a highly experienced project manager faced a high degree of uncertainty. With this whitewater project context, a lot of hope went into the delivery of the project plan.

The 4D element of time is important here. Combining 3D models with the project schedule enables 4D construction planning. The metaverse allows you to see the consequences of your decisions on the long-term sustainability of the project, from planning to construction, to operation and maintenance.

A case study to validate the benefits of the metaverse is the France-based ITER project, which involves some 35 countries collaborating to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale carbon-free energy source. The project team leveraging digital twins and their clients are now virtually teleporting into this large-scale nuclear fusion power generation facility under construction.

The virtual experience is enabled by SYNCHRO 4D and iTwin, as well as NVIDIA Omniverse, Unreal Engine for Oculus Quest 2, and Azure Remote Rendering for Microsoft HoloLens 2. This combination enables the viewing of technical-grade, micron-accurate digital content on several d...