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As digital twin technology advances and gains prominence, New Zealand has taken a progressive step by implementing the digital twin’s approach in developing an autonomous rail shuttle between Marton and Feilding. Digital twins, pioneered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) over half a century ago, have revolutionised various industries. Now, it is making significant strides in the transportation sector.
Graeme Everton, the project manager for Māori economic development agency, recognised the potential of digital twins to enhance connectivity for Ngā Iwi o Te Reureu. He saw an opportunity to leverage this cutting-edge technology to realise his vision of an autonomous shuttle running on rail tracks between Marton and Feilding. Te Pūnaha Matatini, the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence for complex systems hosted by the University of Auckland, played a pivotal role in this endeavour.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical asset, gathering data through various sources like sensors, drones, or IoT and Industrial IoT tools. It employs advanced analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to provide real-time insights into the asset’s performance, operation, or profitability.
It makes a virtual representation of the rail track and the autonomous shuttle, allowing for testing and validation of the project’s feasibility and supporting the business case for implementing an independent rail service.
A digital twin is a virtual representation or replica of a city, mirroring the physical world. It has quickly become an essential tool to visualise real-time city dynamics, integrating diverse data sources such as buildings, infrastructure, utilities, businesses, and the movement of people and vehicles.
The project team, led by Associate Professor Mike O’Sullivan and Engineering colleague Dr Yang Zou, scanned the rail tracks using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to create a detailed 3D model. In collaboration with Ryan Curry from KiwiRail and Gordon Lyall, they successfully captured the first six kilometres of rail track between Te Reureu Valley and Halcombe. This critical step lays the foundation for the digital twin, ultimately supporting the realisation of autonomous rail service.
The next phase involves integrating a realistic model of the autonomous rail shuttle into the digital twin and implementing a control system to simulate its operations practically. By validating and de-risking the digital twin of the track between Te Reureu and Halcombe, the team will be better equipped to proceed with the subsequent capture of data between Marton and Feilding. Combining this data will create a comprehensive digital twin capable of testing and showcasing a fully autonomous rail service on the network.
Implementing the digital twin’s approach for the autonomous rail shuttle project is a significant milestone for Aotearoa, New Zealand. It demonstrates the nation’s commitment to embracing technological innovations and showcases the potential for extending this approach across the entire rail system, providing swift and accurate transportation realms. As a tool for evaluation, management, and future innovation, digital twins are set to revolutionise the transportation landscape. Operators can make data-driven decisions to minimise the network’s environmental impact by continuously monitoring sustainability in transportation operations.
