Digital Twin for HKUST Campus

 

What is the project?

This project will create a digital twin platform - a digital replica of living and non-living physical assets and systems - which can be used for various purposes. This will be coupled with real-time data to monitor the HKUST campus, predict or detect abnormalities in equipment, and enable more efficient allocation of resources.

 

What is the problem this project is trying to address?

A digital twin can help the HKUST community and facility managers visualise the campus environment, conditions, and assets. It would also support research for technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and internet of things (IoT).

 

How does this project support our sustainable smart campus as a living lab vision?

Building a digital twin introduces a source of truth for physical data in a digital manner. Connecting it with the building management system (BMS) allows condition monitoring with real time sensor data, allowing simulations for greener campus planning, better facility maintenance, and increased HVAC system efficiency. Facility maintenance can become smoother, enabling the achievement of a sustainable and smart campus.

With the addition of 20,000+ room attributes, as well as floor plans with different colour labels, the digital twin can also serve as a real-time reference for room use and locating different departments and divisions.

An example of a floor plan with one particular department/division in focus.

An example of a floor plan with different colour labels for each department/division.

What's next?

"HKUST Digital Twin," a prototype of the digital twin for HKUST with intergration of SCAN data is available at Google Play (Android) and App Store (iOS) platforms.