TOKYO, Feb 8, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) -  Fujitsu Limited and Carnegie Mellon University researchers today announced the launch of collaborative research projects focused on the development of "Social Digital Twin" technology, with an emphasis on exploring practical applications for their joint research and technology.

Figure. Outline of Joint Research for the Construction of a Social Digital Twin
A Social Digital Twin digitally reproduces the relationships and connections between people, goods, the economy and society to offer a simulation, prediction and decision making environment in which to solve diverse and complex social issues. This research is the first attempt between Fujitsu and CMU to explore future applications of Social Digital Twins in global communities.

A project through CMU's Mobility Data Analytics Center (MAC) will leverage real world data, including input of traffic regulations and the movement of vehicles, to evaluate the effectiveness of measures designed to dynamically estimate and control traffic flow.

Another project with the CMU's Computational Behavior Lab in the School of Computer Science's Robotics Institute will extend current capabilities in 3D modeling of pedestrians and forecasting their behavior over time in urban environments. This technology can be used to monitor activity on streets and determine where issues or accidents may be taking place.

CMU's efforts will be led by Laszlo A. Jeni, director of the Computational Behavior Lab, and Sean Qian, director of the MAC. Fujitsu and CMU will draw on the findings of these projects to create foundational technologies for Social Digital Twins that will simulate traffic networks and movement patterns of people in real-time. That work will build off of the deployment of the researchers' projects with CMU's transportation research institute, Traffic21.

The researchers anticipate that the Social Digital Twin technology will play an active role in improving efforts to ease congestion, positively influence travel behavior and ultimately help to realize more sustainable and safe cities in the future.

'Converging Technologies' at the Intersection of the Human and Digital Worlds

Within this project, Fujitsu and CMU leveraged so-called "converging technologies," advanced technologies that combine computer sciences and knowledge from the humanities and social sciences, aiming to solve diverse and complex issues faced by cities working toward the realization of a sustainable society. The researchers aim to develop a new platform that delivers a broad set of solutions for a variety of social issues based on highly-accurate simulations of the movements of people and vehicles and the ability to visualize and predict future actions and possible risks based on human behavioral characteristics. By using the newly developed Social Digital Twin platform to analyze and predict the behavior of people and movements of vehicles, the effects and potential risks of interventions can be reflected in advance to optimize outcomes of urban planning and policy.

Outline of the Collaborative Research

Fujitsu and CMU's research will initially focus on developing advanced sensing technology to better understand people's movements, improve behavior forecasting through artificial intelligence, and create Social Digital Twin models to simulate how people interact with goods, the economy and society.

The research will include a Social Digital Twin model based on real-time traffic data from road networks that is able to dynamically understand the daily changing traffic demand of the city. Researchers will be able to use the digital models to test urban traffic solutions to adjust traffic regulations and toll systems in accordance with the efficient traffic flow.

Future Plans

In addition to the analysis of traffic congestion and ways to deliver economic efficiency, Fujitsu and CMU will further leverage the Social Digital Twin platform to promote the verification of detailed measures to solve environmental issues, including the reduction of CO2 emissions and improving urban transportation networks.

The researchers will additionally continue their efforts to contribute to the realization of safe and sustainable next-generation Smart Cities by promoting measures to mitigate pandemics and ensure the flexible, efficient allocation of medical resources while driving economic growth.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 126,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$34 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.

About Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More than 13,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges benefit from a small faculty-to-student ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real world problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

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