Energy labs build digital twin for modeling traffic congestion relief, energy savings -- GCN

Energy labs build digital twin for modeling traffic congestion relief, energy savingsBy digging into traffic congestion data for the area around Chattanooga, Tenn., the Energy Department aims to reduce vehicle energy consumption by up to 20% and recover as much as $100 billion in lost productivity over the next 10 years. To do this, the researchers have tapped 500 sensors -- including automated cameras, traffic signals, vehicle GPS devices, radar detectors and weather stations -- to build a digital twin of the city. The digital twin serves three purposes, he said: intelligence on what is currently happening, what might happen and what to do about it. For instance, if an intersection gets backed up middays, the researchers can use the digital twin to look for ways to alleviate that congestions. DOE would ultimately like to see the researchers achieve “a 20% energy savings in the entire area,” Davies said.