The Metaverse: A New Frontier for Geospatial Data
The metaverse concept extends beyond the realms of digital entertainment and video games into the domain of professional, non-recreational applications. These advanced virtual environments are envisioned as digital twins of our planet, replicating the Earth's terrain and man-made structures with very-high fidelity. Such digital representations are not just visual tools but integral components for various applications including visualization, modeling, and simulation. In this context, the need for extremely very-high resolution, spatially accurate, and timely geospatial data becomes paramount.
Advancements in Visualization, Modeling, and Simulation
Visualization within the metaverse enables professionals to interact with digital models of real-world environments. For instance, urban planners can navigate virtual city streets to inventory municipal assets or evaluate infrastructure conditions without physical site visits. Modeling allows builders and architects to preview and adjust designs on virtual lots, optimizing plans before any construction begins. Simulation capabilities offer engineers and city planners the opportunity to test different scenarios, such as assessing the impact of new street designs on water runoff or traffic flow, all within a controlled virtual environment. These applications provide significant advantages, including substantial time and cost savings, enhanced risk management, and improved decision-making.
Geospatial Data: A Key Enabler for the Metaverse
For the metaverse to function effectively, it requires a continuous supply of very-high quality geospatial data. Geospatial companies are positioned to play a crucial role by supplying the spatial and textural information needed to build these virtual worlds. The precise locations, appearances, and dimensions of physical features—ranging from buildings and roads to natural landscapes—are extracted from very-high resolution imagery. Furthermore, elevation models provide the crucial third dimension, allowing for accurate 3D representations of environments.
Meeting the Demands for Resolution and Accuracy
Realistic metaverse experiences hinge on the availability of imagery with very high spatial resolution and precise accuracy. Airbus is uniquely equipped to meet these demands with its constellation of optical and radar satellites. The Pléiades Neo satellites, with their 30cm resolution, deliver the highest level of detail commercially available today. This capability enables the distinction and measurement of objects with fine precision, essential for creating detailed and immersive virtual environments.
Airbus's Earth observation constellation includes Pléiades Neo (30cm resolution), Pléiades (50cm resolution), SPOT (1.5m resolution), and radar satellites with resolutions ranging from 25cm to 40m. Additionally, the upcoming CO3D constellation will provide 50cm optical stereo imagery, contributing to global very-high resolution 3D data sets.
Creating Immersive 3D Experiences
A truly immersive metaverse requires that features are rendered realistically from all perspectives. The Pléiades Neo satellites offer this capability by capturing oblique imagery from multiple angles, enabling the creation of comprehensive 360-degree 3D views of structures and landscapes. This feature is crucial for accurately replicating environments in the metaverse, ensuring a very-high level of realism and interactivity.
Accuracy and Timeliness: Critical for Metaverse Data
Accuracy in spatial data is critical for the metaverse, just as it is in the real world. The orthorectified imagery from Pléiades Neo achieves a planimetric accuracy of 3 to 5 meters globally, supported by Airbus's worldwide reference layer, including Space Reference Points (SRPs) and the WorldDEM4Ortho elevation model. For vertical accuracy, the WorldDEM products provide sub-meter precision, generated from Airbus's TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X radar missions.
Timeliness is another crucial factor. While a global metaverse updated every 24 hours with very high-resolution imagery is not yet feasible, Airbus offers reliable refresh rates for various regions. The Pléiades Neo satellites provide daily revisits, with intraday updates possible using a combination of Pléiades and SPOT satellites. The OneAtlas platform further enhances acquisition timeliness by allowing customers to place tasking orders shortly before satellite overpass, with data delivery possible within a few hours.
Precision and Realism in Geospatial Data: In the metaverse, achieving realism is paramount. This requires highly accurate geospatial data that faithfully represents the real world from all perspectives. For instance, the Pléiades Neo satellites, with their 30cm resolution, offer unparalleled detail, allowing for the discernment of objects as small as those a person (or avatar) might hold. The Airbus Earth observation constellation, including Pléiades Neo and SPOT, delivers high-resolution imagery essential for creating realistic virtual environments. Additionally, the CO3D constellation, under development, will provide 50cm optical stereo imagery to enhance global 3D data sets.
Geospatial Data Quality and Applications: For metaverse applications, geospatial data must be spatially accurate and visually detailed. The Pléiades Neo imagery offers a global planimetric accuracy of 3 to 5 meters, thanks to the Space Reference Points (SRPs) and the WorldDEM4Ortho elevation model. These elevation models, including Digital Terrain Models and Digital Surface Models from Airbus's radar missions, contribute to sub-meter vertical accuracy, crucial for creating realistic 3D environments.
Timeliness and Data Refresh Rates: Timeliness is another critical factor. While a globally updated metaverse every 24 hours is currently unfeasible, Airbus provides reliable data refresh rates for various regions. The Pléiades Neo satellites capture daily revisit imagery, with intraday revisits possible using both Pléiades and SPOT satellites. The OneAtlas platform facilitates rapid tasking and delivery, with direct orders placed 25 minutes prior to the satellite overpass and products delivered within two hours.
Preparing for the Metaverse Era
As the metaverse continues to develop, the geospatial data required to build and sustain these virtual environments is already available. Airbus’s constellation of optical and radar satellites, alongside upcoming imaging programs, ensures that the spatial resolution, accuracy, and refresh rates needed for future metaverses are being met today. The ability to deliver very-high quality, timely geospatial data positions Airbus at the forefront of this technological evolution, supporting the creation of sophisticated, realistic digital worlds that mirror our physical reality.