The Wonders of a River Digital Twin?

1.What is a RDT – including its registered trademark?

A River Digital Twin? (RDT) is a comprehensive digital representation of a physical river system, integrating data from various sources to model and visualise a fluvial site. At Storm Geomatics, we have pioneered the development of RDTs, often combining hydrographic, terrestrial and aerial surveying techniques to create digital models of river environments. This innovation is now a registered trademark. The RDT is a fully bespoke service – the possibilities are endless!

2. Examples of how they are currently being used.

Water Resources Management: A RDT created by surveyors at Storm Geomatics is being used to design a critical flow control structure, which will be responsible for dividing flows between a re-instated river channel and reservoir, which ultimately supplies drinking water to much of the Southwest of England.

Hydraulic Modelling: We are all familiar with cross-sectional surveys, but what’s happening between the sections? Has anything critical been missed? What if additional data is needed later in the project? By providing full coverage of a site via our RDT, our clients can easily extract unlimited channel cross-sections and topographic levels in locations of their choosing, ensuring all critical features are incorporated into the hydraulic model and therefore producing the most realistic results.

Client/Public Engagement: Storm Geomatics recently provided a full RDT which is being used to assess and model options for the removal of a weir which is a barrier to fish passage.

As standard, our models are hosted in an easy-to-use online portal where they can be viewed in a true-colour point cloud format, without the need for a powerful computer or specialist software. This alone can be shared with the public; however, this forward-thinking client has taken it a step further.

We are providing ongoing support to create realistic animations of flowing water to help visualise and assess the different options, which we hope will further engage and reassure any stakeholders living close to the site.

3. How Storm Geomatics think they will evolve.

Faster Data Collection and Integration: Emerging technologies will ultimately enable faster and more accurate data collection. This advancement will significantly enhance the detail and precision of our digital twins, providing even more reliable data for decision-making.

Live River Level and Flow Monitoring: Incorporating live river level and flow data into RDTs will provide real-time insights into river conditions, in addition to weather forecasting this could provide early warning systems for flooding in residential areas.

Artificial Intelligence Enhancements: AI will revolutionise the creation and utilisation of RDTs by providing improved more realistic visualisations, better flood forecasting and water resource management.

AI can automate various aspects of model creation and data analysis, helping to keep projects within budget while delivering higher quality results.

Augmented Reality for Public Engagement: By integrating augmented reality (AR) with RDTs, we can take public engagement to new heights. AR will allow the public and stakeholders to experience different scenarios and options in a more immersive way, fostering better understanding and support for projects. This technology can bring proposed changes to life, making it easier to visualise the impact and benefits of planned interventions.

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4.Different disciplines are using them; how would you use them?

We welcome your feedback and insights, please comment below!

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