AnywhereXR: On-the-fly 3D Environments as a Basis for Open Source Immersive Digital Twin Applications

TL;DR

This paper presents AnywhereXR, a modular, open-source pipeline that generates high-fidelity, object-based 3D immersive environments from public geospatial data to support immersive digital twins. Built in Unity and demonstrated with Dutch data (PDOK, AHN, 3D BAG, Bomenregister), the approach emphasizes openness, reproducibility, and interactive fidelity at street level. It provides a data-to-visualization workflow, an expert fidelity evaluation, and a case study integrating live public transport data via the NDOV/OV-API pipeline, underscoring potential for futuring, co-design, and participatory decision-making. The work argues for broader adoption of IDTs, open data infrastructures, and future AI-enabled enhancements to scale to global environments and diverse applications.

Abstract

Visualization has long been fundamental to human communication and decision-making. Today, we stand at the threshold of integrating veridical, high-fidelity visualizations into immersive digital environments, alongside digital twinning techniques. This convergence heralds powerful tools for communication, co-design, and participatory decision-making. Our paper delves into the development of lightweight open-source immersive digital twin visualisations, capitalizing on the evolution of immersive technologies, the wealth of spatial data available, and advancements in digital twinning. Coined AnywhereXR, this approach ultimately seeks to democratize access to spatial information at a global scale. Utilizing the Netherlands as our starting point, we envision expanding this methodology worldwide, leveraging open data and software to address pressing societal challenges across diverse domains.

Figures (23)

• Figure 1: Facades and trees from a 3D tile in Google Maps. (Source: googlemaps_facade).
• Figure 2: Overview of workflow for AnywhereXR. Data is loaded from open research data sources via AnywhereXR modules. The AnywhereXR template selects modules and loads them from git repositories as unity packages. 2D maps are augmented throughout various steps to obtain high fidelity 3D environments, which can then be experienced in XR. The augmentation steps at the bottom are shown from left to right: First, land cover and land use is rendered. Second, elevation information is used to create terrain. Third, water is rendered. Fourth, buildings are placed. Fifth, trees are rendered.
• Figure 3: Detailed Workflow for AnywhereXR. AnywhereXR provides a foundation for immersive digital twins. The workflow requires (public) data to instantiate immersive 3D environments. The process is exemplified for the Netherlands, focusing on (largely) open data sources. For each step, we describe the sourcing, processing and final 3D environment.
• Figure 4: The workflow for the generation of the environment surface and texture. To reduce computational cost, a grid is sampled for texturing. Earcut polygons are then used to produce high-fidelity land cover and land use textures on the grid.
• Figure 5: Left: Raster image representing different land cover/use classes after sampling the vector tile from PDOK. Right: Resulting terrain after applying texturing, elevation, and lighting.