If you are a road authority dealing with the high cost of closing bridges for inspection—which can cost €1,400 per event—this project developed an AI photogrammetry solution that reduces total inspection costs by 65% compared to traditional methods.
AI-Powered 3D Digital Twins for Rapid Infrastructure Inspection and Defect Detection
Imagine taking thousands of photos of a bridge and instantly turning them into a hyper-realistic 3D model you can walk through on your screen. Instead of scrolling through endless folders of pictures to find a crack, an AI automatically highlights and groups the problems for you. It's like having a digital X-ray of a building that tells you exactly where the wear and tear is happening over time.
What needed solving
Traditional infrastructure inspections are expensive, disrupt operations, and create massive data bottlenecks where engineers must manually sift through thousands of photos to find defects.
What was built
A SaaS photogrammetry solution that creates fluid 3D digital twins with automated AI defect detection and the ability to overlap consecutive inspections to track deterioration.
Who needs this
Who can put this to work
If you are a refinery operator dealing with the danger and complexity of inspecting massive platforms, this project developed a 3D digital twin that allows engineers to inspect photorealistic models directly, removing the need for manual photo library review.
If you are a drone company dealing with the bottleneck of analyzing 30GB of data per bridge, this project developed a SaaS tool that automates defect clustering and annotation to speed up delivery to clients.
Quick answers
How does this impact the cost of bridge inspections?
Based on available project data, AI-based systems like Twinspect can reduce total inspection costs by 65%, representing a 92% saving compared to direct on-site inspections by engineers.
Can this handle large-scale industrial sites?
Yes, it is specifically designed for large infrastructure such as dams and refineries, capable of processing projects with over 100,000 photos.
What is the IP or licensing model?
The solution is delivered as a SaaS (Software as a Service) directly to infrastructure owners or via third-party inspection providers.
How does it improve safety and operational uptime?
By using drones and 3D models, it achieves 100% savings from inspecting infrastructure without disrupting normal operations, keeping inspectors safe on the ground.
What is the timeline for the current development phase?
The project period runs from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2025.
Who built it
The project is led by a single German SME, Twinsity GmbH. With a 100% industry ratio and no university or research partners, the project is lean and commercially driven, focusing on rapid market entry and scaling an existing MVP rather than basic research.
Contact Twinsity GmbH in Germany for SaaS licensing and pilot opportunities.
Talk to the team behind this work.
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