GIS, maps and GeoAI
City and site models
Semantic 3D models of buildings, terrain and infrastructure at defined levels of detail.
We design and integrate.
OGC CityGML 3.0 Conceptual Model
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Digital twins and simulation/
Earth twinsTerrain, hydrology and atmosphere, on live observations.
Earth twins, inside Digital twins and simulation: city and site models, 3D Tiles and scene layers, BIM and asset information, photogrammetry and reality capture and more. Every item is traced to its specification, from OGC CityGML 3.0 Conceptual Model to OGC 3D Tiles 1.1 (Community Standard), and runs on the open Observatory Protocol.
Plan with usArchitectureThe protocol- Technologies
- 9
- At the frontier
- 2
- Protocol functions
- 3 of 8
- Industries served
- 9
Reference design, drawn to scale · drag to turn · hover a part
01What it is
3D, BIM and digital twins.
The reference frames, formats, services, analysis methods, machine learning and 3D models that turn observations into located, queryable and decision-ready geographic information. AI from model to accountable operation: edge inference and model optimisation, foundation models for Earth observation and geospatial work, time-series and sensor AI, multimodal fusion and supervised agentic operations, federated and privacy-preserving learning, physical AI and robotics within stated red lines, MLOps, evaluation and model risk, and the governance frameworks that apply to each. Each technology below carries what it is, what we do with it, and the standard it is drawn against.
GIS, maps and GeoAI
3D Tiles and scene layers
Streaming of massive meshes, point clouds and models into web and desktop viewers.
We design, integrate and operate.
OGC 3D Tiles 1.1 (Community Standard) · OGC Indexed 3D Scene Layer (I3S) Community Standard
GIS, maps and GeoAI
BIM and asset information
Building and infrastructure models and information management through design, build and operation.
We design and integrate.
ISO 16739-1 (IFC) · ISO 19650-1 (information management using BIM)
GIS, maps and GeoAI
Photogrammetry and reality capture
Meshes, orthomosaics and point clouds reconstructed from drone and ground imagery.
We design, integrate, deploy and operate.
ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data (Edition 2)
GIS, maps and GeoAI
Indoor and underground models
Indoor spaces and subsurface utilities for shelters, plant rooms and tunnels.
We integrate.
OGC IndoorGML · OGC Model for Underground Data Definition and Integration (MUDDI)
GIS, maps and GeoAI
Digital twin frameworks
Linking a model to its physical counterpart with defined fidelity, update rate and purpose.
We design, integrate and operate.
ISO/IEC 30173:2023 · ISO 23247-1 (digital twin framework for manufacturing)
Frontier · GIS, maps and GeoAI
Sensor-fused live twins
Twins updated continuously from sensors, cameras and EO, with provenance on every change.
We design, integrate and operate.
OGC SensorThings API 1.1 · OGC API – Connected Systems
Frontier · GIS, maps and GeoAI
Geospatial augmented reality
Overlaying the twin on the real site for crews through located and oriented devices.
We design and integrate.
OGC GeoPose 1.0
AI systems
EO foundation models
Large pretrained models over optical, SAR and multi-temporal imagery, fine-tuned for many downstream tasks.
We design, integrate and operate.
OGC Training Data Markup Language for AI (TrainingDML-AI) · CEOS Analysis Ready Data framework
02Architecture
Where it sits, and what it speaks.
Earth twins draws on 3 domains and 24 layers of the spectrum; the highlighted layers carry this area. It speaks 3 of the protocol’s 8 core functions.
Reference systems and geodesy
7
Vector, raster and array formats
10
Tiling, maps and visual services
7
APIs, catalogues and discrete global grids
8
Spatial analysis and siting
10
GeoAI
10
3D, BIM and digital twins
8
Metadata, quality and publication
5
Platforms and orbits
8
Optical, spectral and thermal sensors
8
Radar, lidar and microwave sensors
10
Processing levels and analysis-ready data
9
Calibration and validation
8
Tasking, ground segment and access
9
Data cubes, analysis and archives
7
Frontier and research
8
01JoinIdentity, attestation quote, signed policy.
02AdmitAdmitted for a stated scope, nothing wider.
03DescribeWhat, where, how and by whom, with calibration.
04TimeOne clock across the grid, with its error bound.
05ObserveEvery value with quality and provenance.
06QualifyTested against the specification, state on record.
07FederateSigned exchange across grids and trust domains.
08OrchestrateSoftware and configuration by signed plan.
03On the grid
The ground, measured before it is modelled.
Real elevation, line of sight, an orbit swath and a GeoAI pass, each an interactive explainer on open terrain data with its source shown.
Line of sight
A 30 m mast against the terrain.Relief
Terrarium-encoded DEM, contours by marching squares.Hillshade and slope
One gradient, a sun you can move.Geodesic grid
Stations counted into 10,242 cells.04In the field
Where this runs, sector by sector.
1 deployment scenarios from the sector research that rely on earth twins.
AgricultureFarm or cooperative agromet network with crop models
Compact stations and soil probes feeding irrigation, disease and frost models.05Open and enterprise
Open by default. Enterprise by contract.
The open counterpart lives on the main site for anyone to read and run. The enterprise service is designed, deployed and operated with you, under contract.
Open, on the main site
- Simulation methods with worked examples
- Open terrain and grid layers
Enterprise, on this site
- Drone survey and 3D site twins
- Network planning studies
- Scenario studies
06The rest of the line
Digital twins and simulation, area by area.
Digital twins and simulationSite twins
The site in 3D, measured to scale.Digital twins and simulationNetwork twins
Coverage, capacity, power and timing, simulated.Digital twins and simulationScenario simulation
Floods, heat, load and failure, run before they happen.Digital twins and simulationPlanning
From the twin to a plan you can tender.Bring us the site.
Survey, design, deployment and operation for earth twins. The form names who receives your details.
Talk to uscontact@observatory.global