The concept of the smart city has recently become closely associated with the digital twin. A digital twin, a digital replica of a city, is more than a three-dimensional model and a collection of images. It is a decision-support mechanism, an important part of urban management, in which these data are used to develop workflows, designs, analyses and forecasts. The flow of data between the physical world and its virtual counterpart is also an essential component of a digital twin. Integrating information into a single platform and linking past and present data to future scenarios enables engineering applications to be simulated. Possible scenarios can then be investigated and important analyses performed for planning. Urban management in areas such as infrastructure, construction, energy, transport, design, communications and planning can be supported by real-time data and simulations.
Digital twin cities have great potential for data management, planning, forecasting, visualisation, real-time positioning, integration and coordinated work across institutions. But what about “Big Data”? Can we say that surveying engineers worked with big data before the term emerged? My experience suggests that this was not widespread, apart from a few interested individuals or businesses whose activities overlapped with the field. Today, should satellite imagery, aerial photographs and line maps be surveyors’ only primary data sources? Video, laser and LiDAR data also seem likely to play an important role in the future. From this perspective, software used in surveying engineering needs to move beyond photogrammetric and conventional surveying applications. Millions of sensors collect data across the Earth. We need to develop a new mapping model suited to modern needs, using these data not only through conventional photogrammetric approaches but also through artificial intelligence and machine learning. The concept of the living map should form a fundamental component of the digital twin and help guide the future.
Surveying engineers should promptly expand their areas of practice by taking responsibility at every stage: not only collecting three-dimensional spatial data in the field, but also analysing the data, drawing conclusions, managing the platform and presenting the results. If we approach this as a project, universities, civil society organisations, the private sector and public institutions should be brought together through workshops and symposia to build a shared understanding. The future roles of our profession should be defined, action plans prepared and each stakeholder should take responsibility for their part.
Dr. İsmail Büyüksalih, Engineer
PRESIDENT OF THE PİRİREİS ASSOCIATION
