Dive Brief:
- Digital twin technology is getting a boost with a new partnership between Carpinteria, California-based Procore and Amazon Web Services. Digital twins are complex digital representations of physical objects that are used by professionals ranging from contractors to medical practitioners to facility and city managers.
- The deal will allow AWS’ proprietary IoT TwinMaker, which enables users to build their own digital twins, to connect directly to Procore’s software and share data between the programs, streamlining operations and maintenance, according to the release.
- TwinMaker can be used to create digital twins through data input from equipment sensors, video feeds and business applications, according to the release.
Dive Insight:
Sandra Benson, global head of industry transformation for Procore, said that the deal was of mutual benefit and interest, and did not include a monetary component. Benson expects that the integration between the two systems will bring in more users for Procore, and said that the partnership would hopefully bring “cross-pollination” between the two companies.
The new partnership builds on Procore's existing relationship with AWS. Benson said further plans are in the works together, but declined to comment on specifics.
High-profile uses of digital twins are currently more in line with city management instead of construction. Cities like Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; and Los Angeles are using the technology to show off their cities and track health and environmental metrics, such as pollution. More municipalities plan to create their own digital twins as desire for the technology grows.
However, that isn’t to say contractors aren’t increasingly making use of the tech in their builds. For example, companies like Boston-based Suffolk and Massachusetts-based AMC Bridge have used digital twins to combat labor shortages and supply chain issues on jobsites. The boom in interest goes back to at least 2020, when experts predicted it would play a key role in post-pandemic construction.
Benson is confident that contractors will utilize the technology more as time goes on.
“I think for [owners], they're going to really focus on the building operations, facility management, all those kinds of things. So I think that's where it's going to start. Then, I think it'll trickle into owners and contractors using it to help inform new design,” Benson said.
