Twin City

Good Systems Project Leverages Digital Twins
to Make Austin Smarter

Junfeng Jiao, an associate professor in the Community and Regional Planning program at the School of Architecture, gives a demonstration of his team's Fire and Smoke Digital Twin at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) Vislab. 

Photo by Johnny Holden.

Imagine a city that can predict traffic jams before they happen, optimize energy use based on real-time weather data and even warn residents about how a nearby fire might spread. What once sounded futuristic is now on the horizon thanks in part to researchers from "A Good System for Smart Cities," one of the Good Systems grand challenge’s six core projects.

At the heart of this project is a powerful tool: the digital twin. Traditionally, city data has been fragmented and siloed, making it difficult to get a holistic view of how urban systems interact. "A Good System for Smart Cities" tackles that challenge by building an AI system that can link city datasets, extract valuable insights and identify potential biases. This information is then used to create digital twin models — virtual replicas of critical infrastructure, like transportation networks and water systems.


For more information, please visit: https://bridgingbarriers.utexas.edu/news/twins-city