Challenge
As Jacksonville grapples with the implications of an expanding population and shifting environmental conditions, a novel solution is on the horizon. In January 2024, the University of Florida, Deloitte and NVIDIA joined forces to build JaxTwin, an advanced urban digital twin (UDT). This innovative tool will equip leaders with the ability to plan adaptation measures that will ensure the future health, resilience and economic vitality of Jacksonville’s residents.
Response
Urban digital twins are precise digital replicas of urban environments, allowing users to visualize real-world conditions and explore potential future scenarios. JaxTwin is a digital twin of Jacksonville created to serve the strategic needs of city leaders and residents, that is being designed to:
- Illuminate real-time insights about Jacksonville’s infrastructure, health, housing, economic, and environmental systems, offering a live digital pulse of the city.
- Forecast hazards with accuracy, ranging from storm surges to infectious disease outbreaks, acting as a digital sentinel for potential threats.
- Model future scenarios and adaptive measures including upgrades to transportation infrastructure, investments in housing or community health interventions, serving as a virtual sandbox for strategic planning.
Funding
This project is funded by the University of Florida.
How does Jax Twin work?
Web interface
Explore real-time data, forecasts, adaptation measures and scenarios, all in one place.
Augmented reality (AR) interface
Experience the future possibilities first-hand. Visualize scenarios like the impact of a Category 5 hurricane on housing and water quality, both with and without adaptation measures. Visualize from the intricacies of a single street corner to the broader perspective of the entire city.
Team Leads
Research Collaborators
Deloitte
NVIDIA
