Paris 2024 did not only showcase athletic prowess but also groundbreaking technology. One of the most innovative technologies making its mark is the concept of digital twin platforms. These virtual replicas of physical venues are revolutionizing event planning and management, enabling a seamless, efficient, and immersive experience for all stakeholders involved.
What are 3D Digital Twin Platforms?
By leveraging advanced technologies like Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and Intel® Arc™ A770 GPUs, Intel is able to power digital twins, which are highly detailed 3D models of physical spaces that replicate real-world environments in a virtual format. The use of digital twins provides a comprehensive and interactive representation of Olympic Games venues. These models are crucial for planning, simulating, and optimizing the layout and logistics of events.
Nuri Cankaya, VP of AI Marketing at Intel, explains the importance of digital twins for the Olympics: “Digital twinning is critical for the Olympics because Paris is a living city. It’s not just built for the Olympics. It’s one of the busiest cities in the world with all the population and living culture, and all these buildings were occupied, which means if you are an events planner, you cannot go early on to check the building.”
The Role of Intel in Digital Twin Technology
Intel is at the forefront of this technological revolution, providing the essential hardware and software to create and manage digital twins. The 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and Intel® Arc™ A770 GPUs are key components in powering the responsive 3D digital twin platforms used for Paris 2024. These technologies ensure smooth user experiences, fast response times, and high-quality visualizations.
Efficient Event Planning and Management
The 3D digital twin platforms facilitate efficient event planning by allowing cross-functional teams to collaborate remotely. With the ability to visualize and modify venue layouts in real-time, planners can optimize the placement of physical objects, manage crowd movements, and enhance overall event logistics. This remote visualization capability can potentially reduce the significant need for on-site visits, saving time and money and can help reduce the carbon footprint associated with travel.
Practical Applications at the Olympics
- Venue Layout and Design
The digital twin platforms have revolutionized venue layout and design for Paris 2024. At the iconic Stade de France, for instance, these virtual replicas have been instrumental in optimizing spectator flow and enhancing security measures. Event planners can now visualize and modify the placement of entry gates, food stations, and broadcast cameras with unprecedented precision, all without stepping foot in the physical venue.
- Weather Condition Simulations
One of the most innovative applications of digital twins at Paris 2024 is the ability to simulate various weather conditions and their impact on event spaces. This capability allows organizers to prepare for a range of scenarios, from sudden downpours to heatwaves. By running these simulations, they can ensure the safety and comfort of both athletes and spectators, making real-time adjustments to venue layouts or event schedules as needed.
- Collaborative Planning
The power of digital twins platforms truly shines in enabling collaborative planning. Multiple stakeholders, from security personnel to logistics teams, can simultaneously access and modify the 3D models within the platform. This real-time collaboration ensures that everyone is working with the most up-to-date information, leading to more efficient decision-making and smoother operations during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Intel Processors Enable the Benefits of Digital Twins
The implementation of digital twin platform technology at Paris 2024 brings a host of advantages that extend far beyond mere visualization. These benefits impact various aspects of event planning, sustainability, and athlete preparation:
- Cost and Time Efficiency: Digital twins have significantly reduced the need for on-site visits, leading to substantial cost savings and accelerated planning processes. Cankaya points out that digital twinning platforms have the potential to save money and time as well as help reduce the carbon footprint. He says, “You will not have to travel all the way. You don’t have to really spend the time, but you are doing all this activation planning digitally.”
- Sustainability: By minimizing the need for physical travel during the planning stages, digital twins help contribute to the sustainability goals of Paris 2024. This reduction in travel not only cuts costs but also has the potential to significantly lower the carbon footprint associated with event planning, aligning with the growing emphasis on environmentally responsible large-scale events.
- Enhanced Preparation for Athletes: Digital twins offer athletes an unprecedented opportunity to familiarize themselves with competition venues well in advance. Through virtual walkthroughs, athletes can explore the intricacies of their competition areas, from the texture of the track to the layout of the swimming pools, giving them a mental edge in preparation for their events.
Contributing Partnership
Intel’s partner offers a user-friendly application that helps event planners and stakeholders design, map, and plan venue layouts for various events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Using Intel-powered workstations and computing instances supported by customized Intel® Xeon® Processors, Intel’s partner created highly detailed 3D models of stadiums and event spaces. These digital twins allow planners to collaborate remotely, modify layouts in real time, and save on travel costs and carbon emissions. The solution empowers cross-functional teams with rapid response times, facilitating smoother online collaboration. Moreover, the 3D digital twin platform can be accessed online via a web browser on devices like tablets or laptops, providing flexibility and ease of use for all stakeholders involved in the planning process.
Shaping the Future of Event Planning and Beyond
The use of 3D digital twin platforms at Paris 2024 sets a precedent for future events. With ongoing advancements in AI platform technology and digital twinning, the potential applications are vast. Cankaya envisions a world where this technology becomes mainstream: “There were companies who were doing maybe digital twinning technology, and they were charging maybe like a couple of million dollars just to get one floor of your building. But what Intel provides is, again, bringing AI everywhere. We provide this technology to every company and individual so they can also use this in their daily lives.”
The integration of digital twins in the planning and management of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 demonstrates the transformative power of technology in large-scale events. By enabling efficient, collaborative, and sustainable planning, digital twins are not only enhancing the current Olympic experience but also paving the way for future innovations. As Cankaya puts it, “AI platforms are here as a technological evolution to ease our life, to add value. Intel’s Paris 2024 AI activations are just a great example of how Intel is bringing AI everywhere.”
By leveraging Intel’s cutting-edge technology and its partner’s innovative solutions, Paris 2024 has set a new standard for efficiency and collaboration in event planning, ensuring a successful and memorable experience for all involved. As we look to the future, the applications of digital twin technology extend far beyond sports events, promising to revolutionize industries from urban planning to healthcare and ushering in a new era of data-driven decision-making and immersive experiences.
