Digital twins in the context of disaster preparedness: fusion of GIS and game engines

Anatole Matthias DELIGANT

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Digital twins are complex systems aiming at reproducing selected aspects of the real world into a virtual replica. One of their essential roles lies in the visualisation of their output through various means. Game engines offer powerful visualisation capabilities, including extended reality, but lack the capacity to ingest the numerous geospatial data formats used within digital twins. On the other hand, GIS allow for the native processing of said formats, though they are not meant to be visualisation platforms. Breaching the gap between GIS and game engines could provide an innovative solution usable for specific needs and use-cases. Disaster preparedness appears as a suitable application area due to the availability of data and its global reach. Additionally, it could benefit from raised awareness. This thesis examines available interoperability capabilities and integration tools, in particular the ArcGIS Maps SDK for game engines. It does so through the implementation of a virtual reality visualisation framework for urban flood data developed with Unity. The implementation is evaluated through a questionnaire to understand better the strengths and weaknesses of the underlying tools and methods, such as how geospatial data is perceived in a virtual reality environment. Current integration tools are shown to be capable and growing, albeit their commercial nature combined with the absence of major open formats and interfaces hinder their scalability.

Abstract:

Digital twins are complex systems aiming at reproducing selected aspects of the real world into a virtual replica. One of their essential roles lies in the visualisation of their output through various means. Game engines offer powerful visualisation capabilities, including extended reality, but lack the capacity to ingest the numerous geospatial data formats used within digital twins. On the other hand, GIS allow for the native processing of said formats, though they are not meant to be visualisation platforms. Breaching the gap between GIS and game engines could provide an innovative solution usable for specific needs and use-cases. Disaster preparedness appears as a suitable application area due to the availability of data and its global reach. Additionally, it could benefit from raised awareness. This thesis examines available interoperability capabilities and integration tools, in particular the ArcGIS Maps SDK for game engines. It does so through the implementation of a virtual reality visualisation framework for urban flood data developed with Unity. The implementation is evaluated through a questionnaire to understand better the strengths and weaknesses of the underlying tools and methods, such as how geospatial data is perceived in a virtual reality environment. Current integration tools are shown to be capable and growing, albeit their commercial nature combined with the absence of major open formats and interfaces hinder their scalability.

Keywords

arcgis maps sdk, data integration, interoperability, flood impact, unity, virtual reality

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 16. 5. 2022

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: RNDr. Jan Brus, Ph.D.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Geoinformatics and Cartography / Geoinformatics and Cartography