Booz Allen Hamilton [BAH] last Friday said it has entered a strategic partnership with 3-D technology company Unity to develop digital twin solutions for Defense Department and other federal customers.
Booz Allen said the partnership will leverage its mission expertise working with federal customers with Unity’s product suite that brings 3-D engine technology currently used in the video game, architecture, automotive and film industries.
“Our solution allows Booz Allen and Unity’s Government and Aerospace team to collaborate to help federal agencies rapidly develop digital twins at enterprise scale,” Booz Allen said.
Booz Allen provided a study showcasing work it has already done with Unity following the October 2018 damage to Tyndall AFB, Fla., which was hit by Hurricane
Michael, a Category 5 storm. The base suffered $5 billion in damage.
Booz Allen said that the Air Force decided to redesign the base after the storm to create an “installation of the future” and contracted with the company and its partners to “develop a first-of-its-kind installation-scale digital twin of a DoD installation.”
The largest digital twin developed for the department is taking advantage of geographic information system layers, digital elevation models, water and utility assets and more to provide data insights to explore different layers of building information models as part of rebuilding the base. Booz Allen said that based on digital twin designs, the Air Force has been able to reduce change order costs because of buy-in on pre-construction designs.
Other benefits have included simulated what-if scenarios such to identify infrastructure at-risk during a flood event, work through scenarios such as active shooter situations and attacks by small unmanned aircraft systems, Booz Allen said.