The city of Leoben in Austria is using digital twin technology for more effective urban tree management. Using software from Greehill, it has created a twin of approximately 3,000 trees. The twin will be used to manage the urban tree population online and monitor and predict ecological developments using computer simulations.
“Leoben joins a number of prominent cities with its digital tree inventory. The Greehill database and the comprehensive know-how behind it help us to analyse and manage the city’s tree population,” said Leoben mayor Kurt Wallner.
Data and images are gathered using a combination of high-resolution cameras, mobile laser scanning (MLS), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and airborne laser scanning (ALS).
“Greehill feeds this information into an advanced machine-learning engine and creates a digital twin of each tree,” said Sven König, Greehill regional director. “We supplement our tree inventory with satellite data, and develop a strategy to improve their health, assess safety levels, and cut air pollution or temperature in Leoben. With the help of drones, mobile laser scanners and highly sensitive cameras, every tree and its immediate surroundings can be analyzed directly from the office. The computerized 3D model can be used to perform health and safety checks, custom measurements, or filter trees based on important criteria.”
Along with urban forest management, the technology can also be used to assess climate-related and ecologically relevant data. This data will be used for decision making regarding the maintenance of a safe and healthy tree population and supporting resilient “green lungs” in urban areas.
“We are not merely a mapping company – we are out to save the world,” said CEO and co-founder of Greehill Gabor Goertz. “With this data Leoben can increase its sustainability, biodiversity, and climate resilience.”