4D digital platform™

4D digital platform™：integrates various sensing data in real time and enables future predictions

Overview of 4D digital platform™. Background, objectives, technical components and value proposition

About 4D digital platform™

4D digital platform™ integrates various sensing data such as humans, things and environments in real time into high-precision spatial information, enabling fusion with various industries’ platforms and the construction of future predictions.

4D digital platform™ would be one of the key elements of Digital Twin Computing, a part of NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) initiative. We intend to leverage NTT R&D and NTT Group technologies and assets toward sequential commercialization beginning in FY2021, with future expansion through ongoing R&D efforts.

Background and objectives

Figure 1. Conceptual Diagram of 4D digital platform™
Figure 1. Conceptual Diagram of 4D digital platform™

As advocated in the Society 5.0 concept proposed by Japan’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation and the Cabinet Office in the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan, the collection of data from a broad range of sources and their integration, analysis and future prediction in a digital space - the merging of physical and cyber space—could contribute to the resolution of social issues and the creation of value.

However, in the linkage of sets of statistical data or the matching of misaligned position and time data, there are cases in which the accuracy of future predictions cannot be heightened. With an eye toward societal implementation, the issue is the collection of sensing data in real time, and the matching and fusing of the position and time with a high degree of accuracy.

Our proposed 4D digital platform™ would resolve this by making it possible to precisely integrate position and time information from sensing data while also providing latitude, longitude, height and time data useful in future predictions.

Conceptual Diagram of 4D digital platform™

As shown in Fig. 1, 4D digital platform™ integrates sensing data in real time into the Advanced Geospatial Information Database with its highly precise and abundant semantic information, and performs a variety of high-speed analyses.

(1) Development of the Advanced Geospatial Information Database as a control point for 4D digital platform™

  • For further improvement of position accuracy for existing maps utilizing map business data and know-how.
  • · Development of high-definition 3D spatial information primarily for roads by applying infrastructure management data and know-how such as MMS (Mobile Mapping Systems).

(2) Real-time sensing data collection with highly accurate position and time information

  • · Real-time collection of accurate sensing data by combining a high-speed, low latency network such as 5G, and high-precision global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning and time synchronization technologies such as Smart Satellite Selection®, even in urban areas.³
  • · Precise integration of sensing data into the Advanced Geospatial Information Database using mapping technology.

(3) High-speed processing of large-volume data, and future prediction with various simulations

  • High-speed search and analysis of large-volume data sent simultaneously from moving objects by employing real-time spatiotemporal data management.
  • Optimization simulation, future prediction and behavior modification utilizing AI technologies.

Value proposition of 4D digital platform™

Figure 2.　Value Proposition of 4D digital platform™
Figure 2.　Value Proposition of 4D digital platform™

4D digital platform™ enables the integration of various sensing data on spatial information while ensuring the consistency of position and time information, and linkage with data from ICT platforms of various industries. This makes it possible to accurately ascertain the position of moving objects and to construct a variety of predictions, thereby offering the value shown in Fig. 2.

Initiatives with partners

We will promote initiatives toward the use of 4D digital platform™ across a range of industries together with partners from various fields and NTT group companies as well.

We will undertake the development of Advanced Geospatial Information Database in the collaboration with ZENRIN by leveraging high-precision map development know-how.

Furthermore, we will collaborate in the development of an infrastructure management platform with NTT InfraNet, Proof-of-Concept for building and city block management with NTT Urban Solutions and Proof-of-Concept for social infrastructure solutions with NTT DATA

In addition, we would also promote R&D for the precise sensing of the land using an optical lattice clock proposed by Professor Hidetoshi Katori with the Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, and an ultra-high precision optical frequency fiber network jointly developed by the NTT Group with the University of Tokyo and RIKEN, as well as by leveraging NTT’s telephone office and fiber network.

References

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