Digital twin of the LuxTurrim5G smart city pilot environment was completed recently. As a 3D replicate of the real environment, it is an important tool for smart city planning, but much more than that. It allows rich testing of many functionalities of the network and serves well our joint development of various service concepts.
A view from the digital twin
How to turn cities smart and sustainable is a big challenge for which LuxTurrim5G ecosystem has built key enablers systematically and holistically. Our smart poles with integrated 5G base stations, cameras, and a variety of different sensors enable city-wide connectivity and extensive sensor network to collect and utilize a big amount of relevant on-line data. These data sources combined with other data streams through our data platform and data marketplace are then utilized for many different digital services.
The LuxTurrim5G smart city pilot environment around Nokia Campus in Espoo, Finland serves as a real-world test bed for a variety of service pilots. It consists of 19 smart poles, two smart and safe bus stops, drones and autonomous vehicles bringing together fast millimetre wave 5G and a rich sensor network with more than 250 connected IoT devices. Combined with a secure data platform this enables development of new data-driven services for real needs of cities. Our project partners are working hands-on to develop need-based solutions for e.g. situational awareness, public safety, energy efficiency, autonomous driving, sustainable logistics and healthy environments.
Digital twin links the real and virtual worlds
Urban planning of smart cities, including new elements like smart poles that combine many functionalities from lighting, telecommunications to e.g. surveillance, needs to be made holistically. This challenges the traditional planning and implementing processes of cities. Virtual tools are important to be able to analyze different scenarios and take many issues into account at the same time. We have made a digital twin of the LuxTurrim5G pilot environment to help understanding the new needs of urban planning and as a practical tool for smart city planners. As a 3D replicate of the real environment, it gives us also a fantastic tool for virtual development actions, both for the smart infrastructure and services.
“The devices can be controlled and IoT data read in real time, environmental conditions changed e.g. adding snow or rain, different use case and scenarios can be tested by adding other elements such as cars and people, and investigations of obtrusions of signal propagation detecting objects such as trees and buildings”, says LuxTurrim5G project leader Pekka Wainio from Nokia Bell Labs.
The digital twin was made by Sitowise as a joint effort with several LuxTurrim5G ecosystem partners.
”Being part of the project and help create a physically accurate and data rich real-time digital twin environment has been a wonderful co-effort! We had the opportunity to explore the future of smart city technologies and state of the art digitalization effort already today. Digital twins are a growing enabler in smart cities and urban development when it comes to digitalization, and the pandemic has only accelerated the use of technology and digitalization in these areas. Sitowise is committed to be at the forefront with sustainable technologies and development for clean, safe, energy efficient urban living spaces for all inhabitants from people to natural habitats”, says Digital twin specialist Niko Moreira, from Sitowise.
Video by Sami Huuskonen, Tehomet