Canada's Digital Twin

The power of analytics increases with the amount of data available; more data allows for a more comprehensive understanding of context and potential impacts. Large volumes of data exist but there is yet to be a single integrated platform to visualize and interact with disparate data types despite the potential that integration has for providing new ways of collaboration and analysis. Further complicating the issue of available but non-useable data is that many are encoded in a proprietary format. Proprietary formats limit data persistence, integration, and accessibility by trapping data within closed systems. Although vendor-specific formats and software offer robust security measures, advanced functionality, and some compatibility with other proprietary systems, their industry dominance is problematic for innovation and collaboration. Large amounts of data are potentially available, however, due to barriers such as cost, expertise, and vendor lock-in, they are not accessible to most users. Data within closed systems only exists as long as the provider maintains support, which means there is a risk of data being lost if the system ever crashes or is discontinued. Furthermore, proprietary formats are selectively compatible with other technologies. This means that integration and access are at the discretion of the vendor. Democratizing data frees it from proprietary systems and provides an alternative space to host an open collection so that anyone has access to usable data to make informed decisions, solve problems, and improve workflows.

Canada’s Digital Twin prototype is developed to address data trapped in proprietary formats and the absence of any application to host and interact with open data from a variety of sources. Utilizing open-source solutions, the digital twin prototype provides a non-proprietary and web-based platform to visualize and engage with open data collected from various disciplines. The application is web-based to be accessible and available to the widest audience, without the need to download and install any additional software. To access the platform, users require a web browser and an internet connection. The platform leverages open-source technologies to fetch open data directly from available data portals, removing the need for data storage and ensuring that data is up to date. The platform uses vendor-neutral data exchange formats to encourage the use of open standards in industry as Canada’s Digital Twin created this data environment to host and share information. Industry Foundation Class (IFC) is the open data exchange framework and format used to incorporate building information modelling (BIM) data. GeoJSON and Web Map Services ( WMS) for the map, glTF for 3d models, among others   Canada’s Digital Twin allows users to freely access information and tools to view and manipulate data, collaborate with other users, and add various types of digital media publicly or privately within an interface that is familiar and intuitive even without prior technical knowledge of the application.