Using digital twins to manage damage to critical infrastructure
Using Earth Observation imagery, Helyx developed digital twins of road and power networks to identify where infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed following disaster events – better supporting disaster response operations.
Issue
After disasters, responders often lack clear information on damaged infrastructure and how this damage impacts in the wider area. Maps can show location of damage, but not the knock on effects, making it harder to prioritise repairs, route aid, and restore services.
Approach
Helyx created digital twins for existing critical infrastructure networks, focusing on power and road networks. This allowed the concept to be tested, for example with an incident at Baltimore Bridge.
This was developed using open data sources such as OpenStreetMap, enhanced with Earth observation imagery to identify and model infrastructure systems.
Using post disaster imagery and machine learning models, damaged infrastructure was identified, which could be used to update networks that have been damaged following a disaster event.
Impact
The project showed that combining satellite imagery with digital models of infrastructure give responders clearer, more useful information than traditional maps alone.
Helyx’s project has helped identify where infrastructure was damaged and where service failures were affecting other areas. This made it easier to prioritise repairs, plan safe routes for aid delivery and search and rescue, and restore essential services like power and communications more quickly.
This approach allows stakeholders to model risk scenarios and review how past disaster events have unfolded. This offers a better understanding of infrastructure resilience, an improved awareness of risk and more accurate assessments of structural protective measures in place.
The project provides planners a useful tool to identify areas of higher risk of disasters impact, allowing them to stimulate the effects of power or road damage and develop asset hardening projects.