Shanghai creates digital twin for police with live surveillance feeds

Scientists in China have created a hyper-realistic digital twin of Shanghai with the help of 3D game creation tool Unreal Engine. The virtual city allows law enforcement agencies to act fast during emergencies, overlaying live surveillance footage, traffic movement and heat maps.

The digital twin of the country’s largest city was constructed by the Shanghai Surveying and Mapping Institute and the Ministry of Natural Resources’ key lab for megacity data analytics. The result is a detailed map reminiscent of virtual scenes from the popular video game Grand Theft Auto, according to the South China Morning Post.

An accuracy of under 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) enables police officers to view each street and subway tunnel through their phone, all the way to details such as fire hydrants and traffic lights. Live video feeds from street cameras and social media can be overlaid onto the virtual city to create a real-time picture of traffic conditions. Officers can even check building floor plans and access occupancy records and utility lines.

To map the city with a population of nearly 25 million, government agencies relied on technology such as airborne laser scans, street-level lidar and 3D modeling boosted by AI. The so-called “geospatial digital base” contains petabytes of data, acquired through sensors attached to drones, vehicles and backpacks. AI algorithms were used to turn CCTV cameras, manholes, lamp posts and mailboxes into 3D objects and locate blind corners.

Like most cities in China, Shanghai has also been installing biometric cameras on its streets. Currently, it is unclear whether these surveillance capabilities will be used within the digital twin project.

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cctv  |  China  |  digital twin  |  police  |  Shanghai  |  video surveillance