Large-scale digital twins: Creating an online copy of Earth

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• November 17, 2021

Digital twin technology, a method of creating comprehensive digital models of real-world environments, is revolutionizing urban planning and business operations. By integrating data from various sources, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, these virtual replicas provide valuable insights that can lead to improved infrastructure, efficient city services, and sustainable urban environments. However, as this technology continues to evolve, it's expected to bring about significant shifts in the job market, business models, and demographic trends, underscoring the need for adaptation and retraining.

Large-scale digital twin context

Microsoft's Azure Digital Twins platform allows users to create comprehensive digital models of entire environments, providing a live, digital representation of the physical world. This technology is not just about creating a virtual copy of real-life locations but integrating data from various sources, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, to establish a single live integration layer that delivers insights from across the entire environment. The goal is to capture as many details as possible, from road layouts to sidewalks, and even gutters, to allow governments and private entities to simulate products and services inside digital twins at lower costs and at a faster pace.

A 2021 study published in Zenodo highlighted the potential of digital twin technology in urban planning. Digital twin solutions can provide integrated assessments to support urban planning, particularly in the development of net-zero neighborhoods and the promotion of carbon reduction strategies. The technology can help cities transition towards a more sustainable future by providing a comprehensive understanding of urban complexities and delivering policy co-benefit solutions. 

The integration of IoT technology, such as biometrics, CCTV cameras, and public Wi-Fi networks, into these digital twin projects is particularly important for urban planning. Data from IoT devices can provide insights into traffic patterns, environmental conditions, and other factors that can influence urban planning decisions. This integration of digital twin technology and IoT can lead to improved infrastructure, more efficient city services, and a more sustainable urban environment.

Disruptive impact

The ability to interact with a digital twin of cities or neighborhoods could offer new ways to engage with local communities. For example, residents could use a digital twin to visualize proposed changes to their neighborhood, such as new construction projects or traffic patterns, and provide feedback to city planners. This method could lead to a more democratic and inclusive urban planning process.

For businesses, digital twin technology could transform industries ranging from construction to retail. Construction companies could use digital twins to simulate and test building designs before breaking ground, potentially saving time and money by identifying and addressing issues in the design phase. Retailers could use digital twins of their stores to optimize layouts and improve customer experiences. For instance, Amazon's use of detailed 3D maps and data scans for their delivery robot, Scout, is a clear example of how digital twin technology can be used to enhance operational efficiency.

On a larger scale, governments and public organizations could use digital twin technology to manage cities more effectively and respond to crises more efficiently. The Dublin City Council's use of a digital twin to test COVID-19 pandemic management strategies is a prime example of this. In the future, digital twins could be used to simulate and plan responses to a variety of scenarios, from natural disasters to public health crises. Moreover, projects like the Earth Archive, which aims to create a digital twin of the entire planet, could provide invaluable data for understanding and combating climate change.

Implications of large-scale digital twins

Wider implications of large-scale digital twins may include:

• Major cities worldwide commissioning tech companies to build digital twins of their urban environments that can manifest real-time data and be utilized for a variety of city planning initiatives.


• Commercial and residential development companies utilizing the technology to test and plan how their future buildings will look like, how they will be built, and how they will integrate with their surrounding communities. 


• Climate change advocacies looking into digital twins to test different environmental scenarios for the coming years in different regions of the world.


• A shift in the job market as the demand for professionals skilled in digital twin technology increases, leading to new opportunities in urban planning, and environmental science.


• The emergence of new business models as companies leverage digital twin technology to optimize operations.


• A change in demographic trends as digital twin technology makes remote work and virtual collaboration more feasible, potentially leading to increased urban-rural mobility.


• The potential for labor displacement as certain tasks become automated with the use of digital twin technology, requiring workforce retraining and adaptation.

Questions to consider

• How do you think large-scale digital twins might be useful for improving local communities?


• How might city planners utilize these large-scale urban simulations?