Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in SA are inviting students to enter their Digital Twin Hackathon.
A digital twin is a virtual representation that serves as the real-time digital counterpart of a physical object or process.
In a statement, Tshimologong says entries for the Digital Twin Hackathon are open to 15 students from SA and 15 students from the Netherlands.
The digital incubation hub further states the hackathon holds the potential to benefit policy-making for the City of Johannesburg.
It will also serve as an opportunity for 30 university students to combine their diverse experiences, to solve problems that could change the narrative of municipalities in SA.
Ultimately, the goal is to transform their hypotheses into theories and, ultimately, into action, it states.
“Globally, the use of digital twins to modernise cities is becoming well-adopted,” explains Carol Jaji, Tshimologong digital skills manager.
“Essentially, through the use of technology, real-world systems can be created and run in a sophisticated manner to gain insights more cost-effectively. Governments and city planners can use these systems to track, manage and solve problems before putting them into action.
“Virtual representations of physical objects, such as buildings, equipment or even processes, can be rendered through the installation of live sensor data to create a digital twin with capabilities that extend to streaming the movements of people and traffic in real-time.”
The concept of digital twin is not new to SA.
The University of Pretoria last year said it had developed a digital twin city in Hatfield that it believes will improve metro management.
The Hatfield Digital Twin City, noted the university, is an initiative that aims to boost service delivery with the help of smart technology.
Similarly, the benefit of using digital twins has been seen in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, since November 2021. Following the biennial #cocreateMYCITY in Johannesburg, the concept of digital twins was discussed with enthusiasm, particularly within the context of its use as an economic development and policy tool.
The Digital Twin Hackathon is an extension of this and a unique opportunity to address challenges in SA, according to the statement.
“Through this collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, we aim to innovate with South Africans, for South Africans, while leaning on the learnings that have been put to use in the Netherlands.
“As the project develops, it holds great potential for scalability and positively impacting the digital and development challenges that South Africa is determined to overcome.”
The Digital Twin Hackathon will take place over five days from 7 to 11 November in Johannesburg.
To enter, click here.
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