By definition, a city is a big place. And, as such, it is hard to stay on top of everything going on within its borders. There will always be outcomes to scenarios that couldn’t have been predicted, issues that arise from small details overlooked in the planning process.
But the city-state of Singapore is trying to rectify this issue and make sure no small details are overlooked again. What is their solution? To create a hyper-realistic virtual model of the island city-state, something they are currently in the process of doing.
With the help of the Prime Minister’s Office and Dassault Systèmes, a multinational software company that is at the forefront of 3D design, Virtual Singapore is well on its way to completion.
Virtual Singapore will incorporate information such as data about the climate, demographics, energy consumption, and building elevation, all the way down to small details like the location of trees.
If you ever played SimCity, a game designed by legendary game designer Will Wright, this probably seems pretty familiar to you. But Virtual Singapore is built for more than just entertainment.
“You can click on a building and see the surface of its roof, how much electricity it consumes. You can simulate how in the event of a gas leak or a bombing, the population could escape based on where people are,” said CEO of Dassault Systèmes, Bernard Charlès, in an interview with Tech Insider. “We have simulation engines for this.”
Virtual Singapore can be used for more than planning for emergencies or disasters, though. It can also be used to see how a proposed change to the city would affect it. Thus, helping to eliminate those tiny overlooked details that rear their ugly heads later on in the process, when issues become more expensive to fix.
The majority of the data being used to create Virtual Singapore was stored on siloed platforms, but Charlès hopes to eventually incorporate data directly from citizens, such as information from cars or fitness trackers.
Dassault Systèmes projects Virtual Singapore to be completed by 2018.
Related Stories
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 23, 2015
Drones for AEC: How every stage of a building project can benefit from drone technology
From photo-mapping to aerial progress videos, SRG Partnership's Dmitriy Molla studies real-world applications for unmanned aerial vehicles.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 23, 2015
Skanska hosts three-week 'hackathon' to find architect for Seattle tower development
Searching for a nimble, collaborative design firm for its 2&U tower project in Seattle, the construction giant ditches the traditional RFQ/RFP process for a hackathon-inspired competition.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 16, 2015
Berkeley researchers develop 3D-printable concrete powder
The technique allows teams to create more complex and precisely finished structures, with reduced weight and waste.
High-rise Construction | Mar 16, 2015
NBBJ creates 'shadowless' skyscraper concept for proposed UK development
A team of architects from the London branch of NBBJ used computer algorithms to generate a dual-tower design that maximizes sunlight reflections to eliminate the buildings' shadows.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 11, 2015
Google plans to use robots, cranes to manipulate modular offices at its new HQ
Its visions of “crabots” accentuate the search-engine giant’s recent fascination with robotics and automation.
Museums | Mar 5, 2015
A giant, silver loop in Dubai will house the Museum of the Future
The Sheikh of Dubai hopes the $136 million museum will serve as an incubator for ideas and real designs—a global destination for inventors and entrepreneurs.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 4, 2015
Why China's CCTV building needed a WiFi retrofit
It took a year-long retrofit to get WiFi transmission issues solved at China's iconic skyscraper.
Energy Efficiency | Mar 4, 2015
DOE launches crowdsourcing website for technology innovators
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory launched a new crowdsourcing website called the Buildings Crowdsoucing Community to collect and share ideas by innovators for energy-efficient technologies to use in homes and buildings.
Sponsored | BIM and Information Technology | Mar 3, 2015
The great debate: Is 3D PDF really BIM?
You can pull apart buildings, cut through floors, and view simulated animation for assembly instructions all within a PDF.
BIM and Information Technology | Feb 23, 2015
9 best practices for effective laser scanning
JE Dunn’s National BIM Director, Trent Nichols, offers tips and advice for mastering the art of laser scanning.
