HLRS Joins Stuttgart in Celebrating Science

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At the Stuttgart city hall, members of HLRS's visualization team presented their work on urban digital twins, which can realistically simulate travel through cities using bicycles, skateboards, wheelchairs, and other modes of transportation.

As part of the 2nd Stuttgart Science Festival, HLRS researchers presented their recent work on urban digital twins to the general public.

Scientists at HLRS have been investigating how urban digital twins — detailed virtual reconstructions of locations in cities, towns, and other municipalities — could help improve use of public space, reduce traffic congestion, and eliminate dangerous hazards. In conjunction with the Stuttgart Science Festival 2022, HLRS presented some of this recent work, offering the general public an opportunity to experience how simulation, machine learning, visualization, electronic sensors, and other digital tools can support fact-based decision making in city planning.

At the Stuttgart city hall on June 27, the HLRS visualization team presented ongoing research taking place within Cape Reviso, a project that is exploring how urban digital twins could be used to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists. Visitors at the Wissenschaftsfestival could observe 3D reconstructions of traffic on and surrounding Stuttgart’s busy Marienplatz as HLRS scientists described their methods and preliminary findings. The team also presented other examples that illustrate potential uses of digital twins for planning in cities and municipalities, and explained how this approach could contribute to improving sustainability.

In another event organized by the Haus für Film und Medien e.V. in conjunction with the festival on July 2, Dr. Fabian Dembski of the HLRS visualization team also discussed his recent work in the field of urban digital twins. The event, called Stadt / Haus / Pixel explored changing uses of moving images in fields such as visual media, film, architecture, and city planning.

The Stuttgart Wissenschaftsfestival is a 10-day event that takes place every two years in order to spotlight the city’s dynamic scientific community. Through a wide-ranging program of events, the public can discover recent developments in advanced research, learning about their relevance for the local economy and the city’s future.

— Christopher Williams