Sports and Entertainment digital twins (reality capture) are changing the way venues are planned, renovated, and maintained. In this article we will explore how our laser scan to point cloud and 3D rendering capabilities provided extreme value to the commissioned architecture firm that redesigned the Ford Field Concourse. We’ll also show you how to expand that scope to better plan and execute large scale projects for not only sports and entertainment digital twins, but large complexes and cities as well.
Detroit – A Little History
Located in Downtown Detroit, Ford Field sits at the heart of a bustling city that has found a comeback over the last 20 years. With the closure of the Pontiac Silverdome in 2002, the Detroit Metro area found a new sports venue with Ford Field breaking ground in 1999 as an early piece to the revitalization puzzle. Various initiatives have since restored historical sites across the city, driven by the influx of corporate interests which led to the development of Little Caesars Arena and a surge in career opportunities bringing Millennials to live and work in Midtown.
With a maximum capacity of 80,000 attendees in the stadium, Ford Field played host to the 2006 Super Bowl XL, and will support the upcoming NFL Draft, revisiting Ford Field in Spring of 2023. Ford Field’s popularity and technology have proven to be a major asset to the city. After 10 years of service and high traffic, the main concourse, food vendor stalls, and premium experience suites of Ford Field were commissioned to be redesigned in 2017.
Ford Field Concourse
In preparation for the complete redesign and fit-out of the concourse, the lead architecture design firm required a solid CAD foundation to work from, including precise measurements and strong visualizations of the space as it stood. With a digital twin of the existing space, the design architects could execute design validation, build construction documents, and plan interior fit-out of all the suites and the concourse. At the onset of the project, there was no working data to initiate the project.
Our team was contracted to assist with developing a digital twin of the concourse, including data capture with laser scanning, and training the existing architectural firm team on how to best utilize and translate the data into a 3D BIM model.
Often when a laser scan project is launched, the team utilizing the digital twin may not always have the capability or time to develop the 3D model on their own. Luckily the team with the architectural firm was well-educated in 3D modeling and only required PMC to manage the massive amount of data and teach them how to translate the point cloud into the modeling software.
Data Capture
1500 scan plan capture locations 5 night shifts on-site 40 hours to train the design team
At the onset of the project, we established a scope of work that entailed our process:
Design team scope discovery, venue walkthroughs, and planning with venue management
The site scan plan, which ensured efficient scanner placement at strategic vantage points and data completeness
Working with the venue for logistics and time considerations as an active site to the public
Coordination with the Project Managers at the architectural firm for design validation and to deliver data in manageable portions
Training their design teams to convert and utilize the data in Revit 3D Modeling software
With a large scan registration consisting of over 1500 scans, we were responsible for ensuring the design firm received the appropriate data during their design phases and schedules, and in manageable amounts of data for them to utilize during their process.
With fully rendered 3D models of sports and entertainment venues, it is possible to show prospective tenants of the premium suites what the redesign will look like before it is completed. Additionally, Virtual Reality experiences can be created to give the consumer a very realistic representation of the venue’s future, enabling early sales and faster ROI.
When a scan is completed of the entire stadium, not just of the concourse, the customer experience is amplified to the extent that they can see an exact representation of what their view is going to be before they purchase a ticket or season pass.
If the venue utilizes the data further, they can add more value by delivering concessions right to their attendee’s seat with mobile apps. The mapping of the venue makes this possible.
From a maintenance perspective, the digital twin can capture the structure and components of the venue to track replacement parts, repairs, prepare maintenance schedules, and plan and implement smart technology that remote controls lighting and hydraulics. Developing and maintaining a representation of the IoT in a sports and entertainment venue creates more efficiency and enables the longevity of the venue in our ever-changing world of technology.
Digital twins can also enable pedestrian dynamic planning and optimization. Imagine having a real representation of how 80,000 people move through a large venue to reach concessions, ticket sales, vomitoriums, restrooms, and luxury suites, and even evacuation plans as well. This enables design and engineering teams to plan more effectively and venue management to ensure training is effective for the safety of their teams and the public at-large.
Reality capture is a term used to convey a sense of completeness in terms of data that Digital Twins provide to Architectural Engineering and Construction firms, Venue Organizers and Owners, Site Planners, and even Municipalities. Having the ability to gather reality in a point cloud and transferring the data into a 3D model allows for designers and engineers to accurately depict potential futures without the time and cost of gathering measurements by hand or relying on blueprints.
Specifically digital twins can help avoid costly mistakes, reduce material costs, expedite project timelines, and optimize the spaces we live and work in.
Scanning and model development to facilitate new sports betting:
The scope and scale of reality capture is only limited to our own perception of what is possible. Not limited to sports and entertainment venues, Smart Cities and Smart Complexes are achieved through reality capture and dynamic simulation processes as well.
Determine the Need for Reality Capture
When planning to integrate reality capture and digital twins into your project, it will likely become necessary to speak with an expert in these areas to determine what your needs are to achieve your objectives, unless you have members of your own staff that are capable of point cloud capture, 3D rendering knowledge, and dynamic simulation.
Even so, experts in these fields may not understand the full scope of what can be achieved through a complete digital twin of your scenario. This is the reason so many companies, municipalities, and even other engineering and architecture firms rely on specialists like ours.
A short phone call with one of our reality capture experts can shed some light on what the possibilities are for you.
Reach out to us with the form below to get a better sense of what a dynamic digital twin can do for you:
PMI would like to welcome Ian Barker-Cortrecht to our growing team of laser scanning experts across the United States!
Ian joins us with an engineering background with a degree in Product Design from the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon. Since college, Ian’s transitioned between Manufacturing and 3D Laser scanning and has worked as both a field tech and project manager. Outside of his career, Ian builds snowboards and surfboards. “I enjoy the creative process whether that is finding creative solutions at work or designing boards.”
We took a few minutes to sit down with Ian and pick his brain about all of these exciting changes!
How did you get into Laser Scanning?
I was aware of it through product design, mostly for Q/C or reverse engineering. When a field tech opportunity came up, I jumped at the chance and went from there.
What do you enjoy most about working in this industry?
I enjoy the problem solving aspect. We have an amazing technology that can be applied in a variety of ways depending on the needs of the customer.
Where do you see the future of this industry heading?
I believe mobile scanning and more automated data capture are where we’re headed, as well as Smart BIM and Intelligent Models on the back end.
Any new/upcoming projects you’re looking forward to?
I’m just getting my feet under me, but the Harvester project is one I’m excited to be part of. It will be on of the larger projects I’ve worked on both in size and complexity.
What excites you most about working with PMI?
Most of my previous scanning jobs have been siloed with respect to BIM. Working at a company that integrates both well is exciting.
BIM, or Building Information Modeling, provides the most detailed asset information to ensure collaborative, yet efficient, planning, design, construction, and maintenance for buildings of all sizes. In this blog, we’ll discover what BIM is, its benefits, and Building Information Modeling practical uses. We will also explore Asset Information Models (AIM) and how they can support ongoing management of enterprise building management and operations.
So, what is Building Information Modeling? BIM?
Across the globe, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is used as the standard approach of creating and managing information for a built asset. Highly detailed asset information is used to create 3D (AIM) models with information gathered from site audit, 3D Laser Scanning, Photogrammetry, or Reality Capture. That information is used to create a digital twin rich with metadata to provide asset owners, designers, developers, planners, and property managers with detailed facts about building assets. From the planning and design phase of a project, throughout construction, and well into an assets operational lifecycle, BIM is without a doubt the most effective & efficient way to retain asset information.
What to do with this information?
The information mentioned above isn’t just for record keeping; it is actionable in many instances. BIM receives praise in providing data for renovation projects of existing buildings. BIM/AIM models are built using intelligent objects that retain metadata specific to that unique object, respectively. These intelligent objects are able to store data in such a way that if a single element is changed for one object, the entire model can reflect those changes. This allows collaboration to occur throughout the entire development project permitting architects, designers, engineers, contractors, construction crews, and project managers to remain coordinated on their specific tasks & roles. Additionally, quality building data can save you time, reduce cost, and improve site safety.
Additionally, BIM data has uses in leisure and future thinking technology. These models provide all of the necessary metadata to build foundations for video game models and can provide lifelike details to in-game graphics. If we really want to look into future technology, it’s hard to ignore the applications BIM/AIM provides for Virtual Reality walkthroughs. Imagine strapping on your latest VR headset and walking through a building that is in early construction phases, or touring a wedding venue without leaving your living room. This technology begs the question “how will BIM play a role in the Metaverse?” PMI is already looking in that direction as we have already completed projects for these types of implications.
Always distinguish clearly between a SIMUL8® Label (what some other software, simulation textbooks, and technical articles call an “attribute”) and a SIMUL8® Information Store (what some other software, simulation textbooks, and technical articles call a “variable”). A Label belongs to an Entity (Work Item); each Work Item has its own copy of the Label. For example, if refrigerators are being manufactured, and some have “freezer on top” and some have “freezer on bottom,” a Label may be used to distinguish the Work Items. An Information Store belongs to the model as a whole, and has only one value. For example, the number of refrigerators with “freezer on top” produced so far during the model run would be implemented as an Information Store.
2. Changeover & Downtime
Although changeover time and downtime are both non-value-added time, they should be modeled separately and differently. Downtime is related to quality and durability of equipment, and to the care with which the equipment is maintained. Changeover time is related to lot sizes – larger lot sizes reduce changeover time but increase inventory problems (overstock of model A and stockout of model B). Smaller lot sizes reverse this tradeoff, and simulation modeling and analysis can be highly effective at finding the “sweet spot” for lot size. In SIMUL8®, Activity Properties/Efficiency is the route to downtime specification, whereas Activity Properties/Routing In/Change Over is the route to changeover specification.
3. Various Model Types
Continuing, consider the example of the two models of refrigerators. If a Label “Freezer” is used to specify the location of the freezer, and a machine needs changeover time whenever the incoming refrigerator has “freezer on bottom” whereas the previous refrigerator cycling through the machine had “freezer on top” (or vice versa), at Activity Properties/Routing In/Change Over, the modeler will click the When Label Changes option, click Detail and select “Freezer” from the list of Labels.
4. Understanding Scheduled Maintenance
SIMUL8® can also distinguish between downtime (characteristically unplanned and occurring stochastically) and scheduled maintenance (planned for specific times). Clicking on the Data and Rules toolbar, then Scheduled Maintenance, allows specification of scheduled maintenance (start time, end time, repetition interval, and Resources (e.g., workers, special equipment) required. Only one Resource can be thus specified as required. However, Visual Logic can be set to run when the scheduled maintenance begins and when it ends; that Visual Logic could be used to require and free additional Resources. A seemingly open issue: If an Activity (e.g., a machine) is down when scheduled maintenance is to begin, how does SIMUL8® handle the situation?
5. Get familiar with The Resource Matrix Tool
The Resource Matrix is accessible from the Data and Rules toolbar. It appears as a matrix with Activities as the rows and Resources as the column. The modeler can then specify, for example, that the Xray Activity requires one Technician. The modeler is allowed to enter, for example, “1-3” in this matrix – either 1 or 2 Technicians will be required. Open question raised with SIMUL8® — if the modeler enters “1-3”, will 1, 2, or 3 Technicians be required, with probability ⅓ for each possibility? Or some other method of choosing?
3D Laser Scanning uses cutting edge technology to build “point clouds” to create digital representations oh physical assets. With these point clouds, we are able to extract surface data from an object to build its digital twin. Digital Twins can be built from a tangible object of any size, from a coffee machine to a 50,000-square-foot warehouse and everything in between. With today’s technology, there is no project too large or small; the possibilities are limitless.
How Does It Work?
There are many different types of Laser Scanning machines to choose from. However, they all operate using similar methods. First, a scanner uses a laser beam which is reflected off an object and back to the scanner, similar to sonar or echolocation in the animal kingdom. As a result, the distance can be measured down to the millimeter as the returning signals phase shift back to the machine
Simultaneously, a mirror deflects the laser beam at a vertical angle onto the same object. When using a tripod laser scanner, the scanner rotates 360° horizontally to record horizontal angles & distances. These angles are being recorded to also capture the distance between objects.
From wearable laser scanners, tripod scanners, or drone based scanners, each job can be very different. PMI uses a variety of these options to best suit the job at hand.
Why 3D Laser Scanning?
Point clouds are obtained using non-contact & non-destructive technology, so damage to your assets is virtually impossible. As a result, Digital Twins can be optimized for historical accuracy, inspection of surfaces, and reverse engineering & part scanning. 3D Laser Scanning is the best way to obtain highly detailed information with minimal intrusion. Additionally, there is no disruption to productivity while scanning is performed.
Your Laser Scanning Experts
PMI has decades of productivity improvement experience across the globe. To learn more about PMI‘s 3D Laser Scanning Services, contact one of our experts today!
