Singapore
The Virtual Singapore initiative harnesses the potential of 3D modelling to solve urban challenges. It is an ambitious research programme,operating along three strategic thrusts: (i) consolidating research in 3D data, (ii) catalysing the local 3D modelling industry, and (iii) developing anoperational 3D city model and data platform that integrates BIM, 3D GIS, and simulation for planning use by researchers, citizens, and civilservants. At the heart of Virtual Singapore is a 3D city model (thrust iii.) – a dynamic 2D/3D Digital Twin which offers planners and citizens tools toexamine spatial data, test-bed concepts, and observe the impacts of projects in a ‘Virtual Singapore’ before delivery in the real world. With accessto live real-time monitoring data from IoT sensors, decision-making and urban interventions are better informed by accurate spatial data and real-life human behaviour. However, a database that met Singapore’s distinct research needs could not be operationalized without certain preliminaryefforts. As such, the initiative also involved synthesising research on best practices in 3D data acquisition and analysis, and identifying a list oflocal use-cases that would benefit from 3D modelling (thrust i.). Secondly, CityGML, a modelling standard with high ‘semantic richness’, wasidentified and adopted to catalyse the local 3D modelling industry. The government worked with a collective of local firms to train and uplift their3D modelling capabilities along the CityGML standard, developing the local expertise to be able to contract for the Virtual Singapore Twin andother future 3D solutions for the government (thrust ii.).
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