According to a new report from Economist Impact commissioned by law firm Osborne Clarke, digital twins are one of the most exciting new technologies for the efficient management and development of cities this century.
They will soon be used to help deliver the Paris 2024 Olympics more efficiently and cleanly. The use of this technology is the first of its kind in the history of the Olympics, and indeed large-scale sporting events.
By creating a replica, the digital twin can help city planners monitor building performance in real time, which should result in efficiency and sustainability gains.
But there are regulatory hurdles that digital twin providers will need to overcome, point out experts.
Laurène Zaggia, counsel and senior technology lawyer at Osborne Clarke in France, explained: ‘Digital twins raise issues in terms of intellectual property (IP) and image rights.'
'A city includes public and private properties and the legal regime and its impacts may vary depending on that and on jurisdiction.’
‘For example, in France, owners of private properties do not have exclusive rights to the image of their properties. However, where the use of the image of their properties causes them damage or an invasion of their privacy, they can object.’
‘Some properties, may also be protected under the architect’s copyright. As such, copying the design of a protected building or any accompanying materials will require prior authorization from the rightsholder, which often includes royalty payments.’
‘An architect will also have moral rights to the building and any accompanying documents. These include the right to be identified as the author and the right to object to derogatory treatment of a building.’
‘Digital twins are, therefore, exciting but they are not without legal risks – just because a replica is virtual, it does not mean that such use will be permitted’
Vincent Lepetit, researcher at École des Ponts ParisTech, explained: ‘A digital twin is a virtual copy of something that exists in real life. The twin captures the structure in 3D, but also then gives us an idea of the materials. Once you have all this, we can see, for instance, how hot a place gets in the summer, how congested, and can plan, monitor and simulate accordingly.'
Organisers of the 2024 Olympics have announced plans to create digital twins of key venues. This will make the games more energy and cost efficient, and can be used by Paris as part of its broader efforts to attract visitors to the city.
Paul Foster, chief executive of OnePlan, the official digital twin software provider for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, told the researchers: ‘Olympic games come with a lot of emissions, a lot of this being from site visits: national Olympic committees - and there are many - will come in for site visits to see the venue for themselves. Digital twins can make a dent on the flight and travel-related emissions, as they give these committees a more accurate picture of the venue, as well as a better sense of lighting positions, weather conditions, and so on.'
‘The digital twin will also provide everyone with a single source of truth to align plans or simulate safety and security risks. It is like a Google document for site planning at scale.’
